MELBOURNE, Australia – Sebastian Korda spent his first week of a long-awaited trip to Australia away from the summer sun he imagined: After testing positive for coronavirus upon landing in the country, Korda was quarantined in a hotel room in Adelaide, Australia. He hits a ball on the headboard of his bed.
Although one unfortunate rooftop disaster left Korda compounding the pain, the week-long confinement won’t contain his growing talent: In his first match of the year, Korda defeated 12th seed Cameron Norrie of Britain, 6-3, 6-0 , 6-4 in the first round match at the Australian Open.
“It was not easy,” Korda said after his victory. “I didn’t get a lot of preparation, and I didn’t get any matches under my belt.”
It was the first major game here for Korda, 21, who won the boys’ Australian Open four years ago. Korda skipped the World Open last year, opting to play a minor tournament in France, which he won to break into the top 100 for the first time.
Although he has stayed away since his small victory, Korda feels a close relationship with Australia: his father Peter won his only Grand Slam title here in 1998, his sister won the Australian Open women’s golf, with Jessica winning in 2012 and Nelly winning, She is currently the highest rated player in the LPGA, in 2019.
“Lots of success here in Australia,” said Sebastian Korda. “I am always so happy to be here. The fans are unbelievable, the championship is unbelievable, yes, I am really comfortable here. They always make me feel at home here.”
Nouri grew up near Melbourne, in New Zealand, but found no relief against Korda and his dominant sending. Korda scored 77 percent of the points on his first serve and saved all three break points he faced in the match.
Nouri, who climbed into the top 20 with a surprise title at the Indian Wells Masters event last October, said Monday’s loss was “probably my worst game in the past eight months” but called Korda a “great player” and said the match “may have been the case.” Tough if I’m playing great.”
“He can get ahead – very skilled around the net,” Nouri added. “He served well on the big points today, and he was really good for me.”
Korda, seeded 43, is part of the tightly packed peloton that leads American men’s tennis as it chases down the best athletes. Although no American man has ever ranked in the ATP Top 20, there are five Americans ahead of Korda, led by 22nd seed Taylor Fritz.
“I think we all push each other,” Korda said. “There’s always an American drive, to go further in the championships, so he’s an inspiration to all of us – it’s like a little competition between us.”
The people at the front of the pack see Korda gain fast.
“Very clean,” said 41st seed Tommy Poole, who won back-to-back rounds on Monday over Mikhail Kukushkin, of Korda. “Fun to watch.”
No. 29, an outspoken fan of fellow American players, Riley Opelka said the 6-foot-5 Corda “definitely has the body to be cool.”
“He’s got a Tsitsipas-Medvedev-Zverev build; he’s moving well,” Opelka said, citing three of his top five players. A great backhand.”
Opelka said he was particularly impressed by Korda’s biggest results after she came in at the Grand Slam tournaments, including reaching the fourth round of the 2020 French Open and last year’s Wimbledon. “You can fake it for a group and a half if the guy’s outside,” Opelka said. “You can’t hide that for five sets.”
Although Opelka said he was more “fascinated” by the unconventional game of 21-year-old California player Jenson Brosby, he described Korda as “super legit” and “a call for safer youth” to lead the American herd to new heights.