"It was a nightmare" - Sebastian Korda hoping for a reversal of fortune against Carlos Alcaraz in French Open rematch
Sebastian Korda recalled his straight-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the 2022 edition of the French Open ahead of a rematch coming up on Friday, May 31.
Korda, who went down to Alcaraz at Roland Garros a couple of years back after having defeated the Spaniard at Monte Carlo, described the match as a "nightmare" while hoping for a reversal of fortune this time around.
The American also asserted that it would be difficult to beat the third seed who he referred to as "one of the best clay court players in the world."
"There is no doubt that Carlitos is one of the best clay court players in the world, so I am clear that it will be difficult to defeat him. Two years ago we faced each other here, also in the third round, and it was a nightmare for me. Only I hope that this time everything will be different," Korda was quoted as saying (translated via puntodebreak.com).
Back in 2022, Alcaraz triumphed 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 over Korda in a French Open third-round encounter before eventually going down to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
Korda also revealed that his game on clay is best suited to hot conditions which aid his serve and also help the ball bounce higher.
"I prefer it to be hot so that my ball bounces high and my serve does more damage. Mentally it is difficult to play in conditions that do not benefit my game, but I am satisfied with my performance so far in the tournament," he stated.
Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastian Korda go head-to-head for the fifth time in 2024 French Open third round
Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastian Korda have gone head-to-head on four occasions with the two-time Grand Slam champion having come out on top thrice. The two first faced off at the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals, with Alcaraz emerging victorious before Korda tilted the scales at the 2022 Monte Carlo Open.
After defeating Korda at the French Open the same year, Alcaraz got the better of the Bradenton-born player in the semifinals of the 2023 Queen's Club Championships which he went on to win.
At Roland Garros this year, Carlos Alcaraz sailed past JJ Wolf 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 before having to overcome stiff resistance from Jesper de Jong in the second round. Despite losing the third set to the Dutchman, Carlos Alcaraz did well to triumph 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to set up a third-round clash with Sebastian Korda.
Korda, meanwhile, defeated Frenchman Harold Mayot 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4 before dropping a set to Kwon Soon-woo. The 23-year-old finally emerged victorious 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.