Are you ready for the clash of the Floridan versus the Californian in Montreal? Sebastian Korda recently accomplished one of the “most special moments” of his career as he won the Citi Open in Washington. He defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in three sets in the final, and with this victory, he has now completed a father-son double. His father, Petr, won the same competition in 1992, and now they’re the first father-son duo to win the same ATP Tour event.

Taylor Fritz, on the other hand, clinched the bronze medal in the doubles event at the Paris Olympics. He has also got off to a winning start in Montreal. Who can keep the winning momentum intact and get the edge in this All-American clash?

Sebastian Korda vs Taylor Fritz: Preview

Sebastian Korda’s season has been quite decent so far. However, Korda didn’t have to put much effort into his previous match as his Canadian opponent gave him a walkover at 2-1 in the first set. Vasek Pospisil withdrew from the first-round clash at the Canadian Open due to a lower-body injury. So, there’s nothing much to analyze, but if we look at his performance in the Citi Open final, Korda hit 7 aces and committed 0 double faults against Cobolli. He won 82% of his first serve and 63% of his second serve, but could only convert 5/12 of his breakpoints while giving away 1/3.

Taylor Fritz, however, has already won two titles this season. Apart from that, he has also reached one final, one SF, and four QFs. In this previous match, he defeated Argentina’s Mariano Navone by 6-4, 6-1. He fired 7 aces and committed only 2 double faults against the Argentinian. Fritz won 78% of his first serve and 76% of his serve. The 26-year-old Californian tennis star converted 3/7 breakpoints while never being broken.

Korda vs Fritz: Head-to-Head

Both of them have met each other twice in their careers so far. Taylor Fritz has a clear 2-0 lead over his Floridan opponent in the H2H. However, Sebastian Korda’s recent title triumph will surely boost his confidence. So, this match has all the ingredients to be a thrilling All-American clash!

• 2022 Monte Carlo Masters R16: Fritz 7-6(4), 7-5
• 2024 Italian Open R32: Fritz 6-3, 6-4

Prediction: Fritz to win in three sets

This match will surely go a bit deeper than expected! Reason? Both the players have been in great form recently, and they will be keen to get some wins in their bags before they kick-start their campaigns at their home slam. With his recent triumph in Washington, Korda (18) has climbed into the Top 20. He has a win-loss record of 28-17 this season, whereas Fritz has a win-loss record of 36-14. Fritz is currently ranked 13th in the world. When looking at their win-loss record and current ranking, Fritz has the edge, and this is what mainly keeps him ahead in the mega battle.

Fritz’s offensive baseline game comprises powerful groundstrokes that can draw out errors from his opponents. He can generate great firepower in his serves and forehands. So far, Fritz has hit 511 aces this season. How many can he hit against Korda? Well, that’s something that could well be a major decider in this matchup! Apart from his serves, he has a good topspin lob with a flatter and low bouncing backhand.

It’ll be important for Korda to get a grip on this match from the get-go. It won’t be easy for him to beat Fritz here. Korda’s aggressive style of play can also force an issue out of his opponent. He often tends to come to the nets and finish off the points elegantly rather than grinding it from the baseline. Korda is a solid competitor, and in fact, he is also one of the purest ball strikers on Tour. Looking at the results of their previous meeting and current stats, it seems the Californian has an upper hand against the Floridan.