Ben Shelton & Sebastian Korda showered with praise from Bob Bryan for thrilling Shanghai Masters QF match

Bob Bryan commended Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton for their exhilarating performance in the quarterfinal match at the 2023 Shanghai Masters.

In an all-American quarterfinal at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Korda defeated Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6). The intense battle lasted two hours and 55 minutes at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

While improving to 7-5 against top 20 opponents this season, Korda became the first semi-finalist from the United States in Shanghai tournament's history.

Bob Bryan, one of tennis' most successful men's doubles pair alongside his brother Mike, recently took to social media to commend Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda for their outstanding performance in the Shanghai quarterfinals.

"Great match, Fellas👏 @sebastiankorda @benshelton @rolexshmasters," Bryan captioned his Instagram story.

"My ultimate goal in tennis is to win two Grand Slams, one more than my dad" - Sebastian Korda

Sebastian Korda at the 2023 Shanghai Rolex Masters

Sebastian Korda's "ultimate goal" in tennis is to win two Grand Slam titles. He cited a simple reason behind his goal - to surpass his father Petr's Major victories and proudly boast the title of having won more.

Petr Korda won the Australian Open in 1998, triumphing over the former World No. 1, Marcelo Rios, in the final. It was his first and only Slam title before bidding farewell to professional tennis in 2005.

Meanwhile, his son Sebastian, reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, his best performance at a Grand Slam tournament thus far.

Sebastian Korda, currently competing at the Shanghai Masters, secured his place in the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event by defeating Ben Shelton.

Korda reflected on the unique experience of being born into a family with a sporting legacy, just like his own. His mother, Regina, was a tennis pro, and his sisters, Jessica and Nelly, have established themselves as accomplished golfers on the LPGA Tour.

The American does not feel any pressure to pursue his passion. However, he jokingly declared his desire to conclude his career with one Major title more than his father.

"I don't think it creates any pressure. In the end, we're all doing kind of what we love to do. Tennis is something that I just love doing. It doesn't matter if it's playing, watching, I watch tennis all day long, basically. I just really enjoy being here, really enjoy playing tennis," Sebastian Korda said.

"Same thing with my sisters," he added. "They love doing what they're doing. I don't think there's any pressure with it. Obviously, I would love to be better than my dad. My ultimate goal in tennis is to win two Grand Slams, one more than my dad.

"That's just, you know, little things like that, but I don't think there's any pressure. I just really love playing tennis, and just really having a lot of fun right now," he added.