Sebastian Korda beats Ben Shelton in 3 sets at Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI — Sebastian Korda, an emerging talent, made his mark at the Shanghai Masters as he reached the semifinals for the very first time. In a thrilling match, Korda staged an impressive comeback to defeat Ben Shelton with a scoreline of 6-7 (10), 6-2, 7-6 (6).

This contest marked the first all-American Masters quarterfinal since 2017, and it kept spectators at the edge of their seats as both players came close to victory. “I’m grateful for maintaining my composure,” said Korda, reflecting on his performance. Despite some mistakes, he always maintained self-belief, particularly during the final tiebreaker when the score stood at 6-6. Korda’s determination paid off as he managed to finish the match on his sixth match point.

Korda, at the age of 23, has been on an impressive run in Asia, having already reached the semifinals at both the Zhuhai Open and the Astana Open on the tour’s Asian swing.

On the other side of the bracket, the 19th-seeded Shelton, in his first Masters quarterfinal, served 17 aces, but Korda countered by breaking his serve five times.

Korda’s next opponent in the semifinals will be Hubert Hurkacz. The Polish player showcased his resilience as he rallied back to defeat Fabian Marozsan, ranked 82nd in the world, with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Hurkacz demonstrated great consistency in the latter part of the match, dropping only nine points on serve in sets two and three. Reflecting on the encounter, Hurkacz highlighted the need to stay positive and committed to his game plan. He emphasized the importance of maintaining aggression to counter Marozsan’s impressive shots.