ATP Libéma 2024: Tommy Paul vs Sebastian Korda; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

Are you ready for the all-American QF clash at the 2024 Libema Open? Tommy Paul is all set to take on his compatriot Sebastian Korda in this blockbuster contest in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Both the players will be looking forward to grabbing a title ahead of the mega event in London. Paul has already tasted a title triumph at the Dallas Open this year, but this is a completely different surface! He took some time to adjust to these conditions in his previous match, but he eventually sealed the deal against his Aussie opponent, Alexei Popyrin in three sets.

On the other hand, Sebastian Korda defeated Italy’s Luca Nardi 7-5, 7-5 in his R16 match. Both the players have played against each other multiple times, now it’ll be interesting to see who can outclass the other in this epic faceoff!

Tommy Paul vs Sebastian Korda: Preview

Apart from winning a title this year, Paul has reached one final and two SFs this season. He defeated Popyrin by 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the R16 clash and in that match, he fired ten aces and committed just two double faults. Paul won 74% of his first-serve and 71% of his second-serve in that match. He converted three out of his eleven breakpoints against the Australian tennis star.

Looking at his overall numbers this season, the 27-year-old American tennis player has hit 150 aces and committed 52 double faults. He has won 81% of his service games and just about 31% of his return games this year. How are his numbers compared to his 23-year-old opponent from Florida?

Sebastian Korda’s best result in this season came at the Dubai Tennis Championships where he reached the QF. Apart from that, he has looked pretty ordinary this season. However, in this tournament, he started his campaign in an emphatic manner by defeating Tristan Schoolkate in straight sets. Luca Nardi was his next straight sets victim. In their clash, Korda hit seven aces and committed three double faults. He won 84% of his first serve and 46% of his second serve. However, Sebi could only convert four out of his twelve break points against the Italian.

Sebastian Korda is currently ranked 26 in the world. His numbers are quite decent this season, but he needs to convert those into fruitful results grabbing a few more titles in his bag. Korda has hit 202 aces this season and has committed 47 double faults. He has won 79% of his service games and 23% of his return games as of now. Can he ace his aces against Tommy Paul?

Paul vs Korda: Head-to-Head

They have met each other four times and currently, Sebastian Korda leads the H2H 3-1. Their first meeting was at the 2021 Delray Beach Open where Korda defeated Paul by 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. However, it took five sets to decide the winner in their previous encounter at the 2022 US Open and Paul had the last laugh.

If we take a closer look at the stats from their previous match, Tommy Paul hit just three aces and committed five double faults. On the other hand, Sebastian Korda hit a staggering eleven aces and committed just one double fault in the entire match. He won 69% of his first serve and 51% of his second serve, while Paul won 73% of his first serve and 57% of his second serve that time. Tommy Paul converted five of his eleven breakpoints but Sebastian Korda could only manage to convert two out of his thirteen breakpoints in that epic contest.

Prediction: Paul to win in three sets

Despite having an edge over Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda is not the favorite for the match. Looking at their previous match, it seems as if Paul has finally found his secret formula to topple his compatriot. Furthermore, Tommy Paul looks to be in better form at the moment than Korda. He has a win-loss record of 22-9 this season compared to 17-13 of Sebastian Korda.

Tommy Paul is currently ranked 13 in the men’s singles ranking and his strong attacking forehand and solid footwork along the baseline may come in handy in this match. Paul loves coming to the net and finishing his points, which is quite similar to Korda’s game style. However, Sebastian Korda’s is a solid competitor on the tour. He also possesses an aggressive style of play and his strong backhands are one of his lethal weapons. So, don’t be surprised if this match goes a little deeper than expected, but the Delray Beach Open champion looks like a clear favorite in this match.