American Sebastian Korda pulled off a stunner Friday, defeating two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev in straight sets 7-6 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (4) to advance to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open.
It’s the latest upset by a US male in this year’s tournament. Tuesday saw Mackenzie McDonald knock out World No.1 Rafael Nadal in the second round, while Jenson Brooksby downed No. 4 Casper Ruud on Wednesday, also in Round 2.
Korda, ranked 29th, is the son of 1998 Australian Open winner Petr Korda.
“I kind of knew what I had to do. I stuck with it, even when I was going up and down with the emotions,” said Korda.
When asked how he would describe his game plan, Korda said with a laugh, “Just go for it.”
It’s the Florida native’s best-ever showing at a major tournament.
Korda will look to advance to his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal when he battles No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz on Sunday.
You can find the latest Australian Open odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.