WATCH: Sebastian Korda accidentally pulls off incredible racquet catch in Shanghai
Sebastian Korda has unintentionally pulled off one of the greatest racket catches of all time.
The American is currently competing in the ongoing Asian tennis swing and is gearing up for his fourth-round clash at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. He began his campaign by breezing past Bu Yunchaokete before picking up a scintillating win over second seed Daniil Medvedev in the third round.
While preparing for his next encounter, Korda pulled off arguably one of the most incredible racket catches of all-time in practice. The youngster was clueless about the ball coming towards his direction, even turning his back to it, but still managed to grab the ball in his racket frame while preparing to serve.
You can watch a clip of the same below:
Sebastian Korda has been in sublime form in the last few weeks on the main tour. Since his disappointing first-round exit at the US Open, he has managed to amass eight wins out of 10 matches and a runner-up finish at the Astana Open. He also reached the semifinals at the Zhuhai Championships.
Korda received plenty of praise for his aforementioned win over Medvedev, his second successive victory against the Russian. He now leads their head-to-head 2-1.
In the post-match press conference, the American expressed his belief that he isn't an under-the-radar player. He addeed that achieving a few more notable results on the ATP tour would place him in the same league as Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, and Jannik Sinner.
"They obviously have better results than me. I don't think I'm under the radar in any sort. You know, just have some good results here and there and hopefully be in the talks with them. But, yeah, they're incredible players and hopefully we'll be playing against each other for many, many years," Sebastian Korda said.
The 23-year-old made a promising start to the season, reaching the finals of the Adelaide International 1 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. However, a wrist injury which required surgery halted his momentum.
He returned to the main tour in Madrid, but didn't have an ideal claycourt season. Korda then began peaking during the grasscourt swing, reaching the semifinals of the Eastbourne International.
Sebastian Korda to square off against Francisco Cerundolo in R4 of the Shanghai Masters
Sebastian Korda will battle it out against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
While the American outclassed Daniil Medvedev in the third round, Cerundolo secured a brilliant 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback win over Marton Fucsovics. The Argentinian has reached the last 16 in Shanghai for the first time in his career.
The head-to-head between Korda and Cerundolo is poised at 0-0 as the duo have never faced each other on tour.
Both players have shown great form leading up to this match, making it an intriguing contest. Cerundolo will present a tricky challenge for the American, but considering their recent performances and playing styles, Korda's offensive game and finesse should give him a slight edge.
The winner of this tie will take on either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.