Match Report
Like father, like son: Korda rallies to win Washington title
American is first house champion in D.C. since Roddick in 2007
August 05, 2024
Caean Couto
American Sebastian Korda celebrates successful his second ATP Tour title in on house soil in Washington.
By ATP Workers
Enjoying in his eighth tour-level singles remaining, Sebastian Korda gained his second and largest title on the Mubadala Citi DC Open in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 triumph full of significance.
In changing into the primary American man to win the Washington crown since Andy Roddick in 2007, the house favorite additionally matched his father, Petr Korda, who gained the D.C. title in 1992. The Kordas are the primary father-son duo to win the identical title in ATP Tour historical past. Wanting ahead, the triumph set Korda as much as rise to a career-high PIF ATP Rating of No. 18 on Monday.
“I have been coming to this match since I used to be a teen,” the 24-year-old Korda mentioned in his trophy speech. “My dad used to teach Radek Stepanek, who additionally gained right here in 2011. Now we have quite a lot of historical past with this match, and clearly one among my largest objectives was in the future coming right here and hopefully successful the match and placing my identify up there on the stadium. Now that I’ve the chance, that is most likely probably the most particular second of my profession up to now.”
Present time 🎬@SebiKorda and Cobolli are delivering in DC!@mubadalacitidc | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/1lnYkQ7HbE
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 5, 2024
After a two-hour delay because of rain and a three-set girls’s remaining, Korda dominated a lot of the match towards first-time finalist Cobolli. However the Italian got here up with one of many photographs of the day on his first break level to grab the opening set with a screaming forehand winner.
From 1-2 within the second, Korda gained 11 straight video games to run away with the ATP 500 title. Enjoying inside himself, he leaned on his expertise to beat a spirited begin from the 22-year-old Cobolli, who competed within the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals introduced by PIF in November.
Now 2-0 within the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head, Korda has one “highway” win in Rome along with this victory in entrance of his house followers in Washington.
“An enormous thanks to the group,” Korda mentioned. “You guys have been unbelievable this entire week, particularly tonight. I actually used your vitality.”
Each males had saved match factors on their strategy to the title match: Korda erased two towards Thanasi Kokkinakis within the third spherical, whereas Cobolli fought off 5 towards Alejandro Davidovich Fokina within the second spherical.
Like Korda, Cobolli will even go away Washington with a career-high PIF ATP Rating. The Italian, who performed 4 consecutive three-setters together with the ultimate, is ready to maneuver up 15 locations to World No. 33 on Monday.
“An enormous congratulations to Flavio,” Korda added. “You’ve got battled this entire week on courtroom, you have saved so many match factors, you spent so many hours on courtroom within the warmth. It wasn’t straightforward, however an enormous congratulations to you and your staff. It is an awesome week for you guys and I want you all the perfect.”