Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Winston-Salem match.
The tournament has reached the quarter-final stage. Sebastian Korda is seeded 11th in Winston-Salem, but he’s the second-highest seed left in the draw. He faces Miomir Kecmanovic, seeded 13th, with their head-to-head currently tied at 1-1. Everything points to a tight contest.
Sebastian Korda
In the previous round he had to work hard, settling matters in a deciding set against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak. Even in the opening set, which he lost on a tie-break, Korda was largely in control of play. He hit more winners (23-14) but also made far more errors (19-8), while his opponent sat back waiting for mistakes. Once Korda cut those out, he turned the match around. Questions remain about his sharpness though — this is his first tournament since Roland Garros.
Miomir Kecmanovic
The Serb has been much busier this summer. He rarely goes beyond the first or second round — Wimbledon’s third round was an exception — but he’s been entering almost every major event. That match rhythm is showing: Kecmanovic dismissed Aleksandar Kovacevic and Luciano Darderi in straight sets, dismantling the No.3 seed from Italy with ease (6:3, 6:1). For the 25-year-old, just reaching a third match here is already a step forward.
Sebastian Korda vs Miomir Kecmanovic Prediction
Interestingly, despite being seeded higher at this event, Korda sits 41 places lower than Kecmanovic in the world rankings. Current form clearly favours the Serb, who looks sharper and more consistent. The edge lies with him to reach the semi-finals.
