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Sebastian Korda opened up about the challenging time difference between China and the United States, which prevented him from speaking to his father Petr after his win over Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 Shanghai Masters.
Korda clinched the biggest win of his career by defeating second seed and defending champion Medvedev 7-6(8), 6-2 in the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 event. This marked the American's first-ever win over a top-5 opponent and his second straight sets win over the Russian this season, having previously knocked him out of the Australian Open in the third round.
Following his victory, Sebastian Korda was asked if he had spoken to his father Petr Korda, a Czech former professional tennis player. The 23-year-old disclosed that his father had sent him a text message, but they were unable to speak over the phone due to the "brutal" time difference between Shanghai and Florida.
"No, he sent me a text, and then he was going to go to sleep. I haven't talked to my parents yet. The time change is brutal for them. It's an early morning. But, yeah, when I get back to the hotel I'll give 'em a ring and we'll talk a little bit," he said in his post-match press conference.
Korda also mentioned that while he was uncertain about his mother, he was aware that his father was closely following his matches in Shanghai. He explained that his father always adjusted his schedule to watch him and his sisters, professional golfers Jessica and Nelly, compete in Asia, despite the time difference.
"Yeah, for sure my dad. I don't know about my mom, she was probably sleeping. But, yeah, whenever I'm in this time zone or my sisters are here in Asia playing golf he's always watching every single hole of theirs. So he kind of shifts his time zone to here and, you know, yeah, he's just, I guess he's enjoying it," Sebastian Korda said.
Sebastian Korda to lock horns with Francisco Cerundolo in Shanghai Masters 4R after win over Daniil Medvedev
Following his win over Daniil Medvedev, Sebastian Korda will lock horns with Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of the 2023 Shanghai Masters. The clash will mark the pair's first-ever tour-level encounter.
Looking ahead to the match, Korda recognized the Argentine as a challenging opponent and admitted the need to maintain a high level of play in order to secure victory.
"I don't think we've ever really played against each other. Obviously another high-level player. He's having a great year. Definitely have to play some really good tennis again to hopefully get the job done," he said.
Cerundolo claimed a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Marton Fucsovics to book his spot in the fourth round. Should Sebastian Korda emerge victorious against the Argentine, he will take on the winner of the blockbuster clash between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.
