Sebastian Korda battled past Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 7-6 (12-10) after 1 hour and 47 minutes in Adelaide to score his first win of the 2024 season after losing to Yannick Hanfmann 7-5 6-4 in the first round in Brisbane last week.
Korda saved five break points in the second set and converted three of his four break points.
Korda earned an early break at love and held serve easily to open up a 2-0 lead. The US player dropped just two points in his next three service games to take a 5-3 lead. Sonego saved a break point in the ninth game to hold serve for 4-5.
Sonego went down 0-30 on return in the 10th game, but Korda won four consecutive games to close out the first set 6-4 in 40 minutes.
Both players went on serve in the first four games of the second set. Korda went up a break at 30 in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Sonego broke back at 30 in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3 and held serve in the seventh game. The Italian player earned his second consecutive break in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead earning a chance to serve for the match. Sonego went up a 40-15 in the ninth game, but Korda won four consecutive games to break back before holding serve to draw level to 5-5. Both players went on serve in their next service games en route to the tie-break. Both players traded mini-breaks twice to draw level to 5-5. Korda earned a match point at 6-5 but Sonego won two consecutive points to take a 7-5 lead. Sonego did not convert three set points at 7-6, 8-7 on his serve and on 9-8. Korda did not convert his second match point at 10-9, but the US player earned his decisive mini-break to seal the win 12-10 on his third match point.
Korda set up a quarter final against Christopher O’Connell.
Nicolas Jarry saved a match point in the tie-break of the second set to beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 after 3 hours and 27 minutes.
Arnaldi saved a break point in the first game of the opening set. The young Italian player did not convert a set point in the 10th game. Arnaldi earned a mini-break after a double fault from Jarry to win the mini-break 7-5.
Arnaldi converted his third break point in the first game of the second set at deuce. Jarry broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Arnaldi broke serve at 30 to take a 4-3 lead. Jarry broke serve in the 10th gameat deuce to draw level to 5-5, as Arnaldi was serving for the match. Arnaldi earned a mini-break to open up a 5-2 lead in the tie-break. Jarry won four consecutive points to earn a set point at 6-5. Arnaldi missed a match point at 7-6. Jarry won the final three points to close out the tie-break 9-7.
Jarry earned an early break in the first game to take a 1-0 lead. Arnaldi broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Jarry broke for the second time in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Arnaldi did not convert two break-back points in the eighth game. Jarry served out the second set 6-4 on his first match point.
Jarry set up a quarter final match against Jiri Lehecka, who beat Dusan Lajovic 7-5 4-6 6-3. Lehecka earned an early break in the second game of the first set to take a 2-0 lead. Lajovic converted his third break-back point in the fifth game and held at 30 to draw level to 3-3. Lehecka sealed the first set 7-5 with his second break in the 12th game.
Lajovic converted his fourth break point in the first game of the second set. Lehecka broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Lajovic broke for the second time in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Lehecka saved two break points in the ninth game to hold serve for 4-5. Lajovic served out the second set at 30. Lehecka converted his second break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and sealed the win on his first match point in the ninth game.
Last year’s Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul beat Australian wild card Alex Bolt 6-3 6-2. Paul earned his first break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and served out the first set at 15 in the ninth game. Paul broke twice in the first and third games and sealed the win on his third match point.
Paul will take on Jack Draper, who beat Miomir Kecmanovic 5-7 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (9-7) in a n epic match after 3 hours and 39 minutes. Draper started the first set with a break, but Kecmanovic broke straight back. Kecmanovic broke again in the 12thgame to seal the first set 7-5.
Kecmanovic earned a break in the second game of the second set, but Draper broke straight back in the third game to force the match to the tie-break. Draper led 6-4 in the tie-break earning three set points, but he faced two match points at 8-7 and 9-8. The British player saved both chances and clinched the tie-break 11-9 on his fourth set point after two and a half hours. Both players went on serve with no breaks of serve en route to the tie-break. Kecmanovic went up a 4-1 lead. Draper won five of the next six points to earn his first match point at 6-5.
At 5-5 the rally decided who will have the first match point in the third set. The ball went through the net, but the point was awarded to Draper. Kecmanovic saved the first match point. After the following rally Kecmanovic saved another match point, making it 2-2 on match point saved in the match. Draper converted his third match point to win the tie-break of the third set 9-7.
Eighth seed Alexander Bublik came back from one set down to beat Daniel Evans 4-6 6-2 6-1. Evans converted his fifth break point in the opening game to take a 1-0 lead. Bublik broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Evans broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Bublik saved two break points to hold serve at deuce in the ninth game for 4-5. Evans served out the first set at 30 in the 10th game. Bublik broke twice in the sixth and eighth games to close out the second set 6-2. The Kazakh player earned two more breaks to seal the third set 6-2.
Buklik set up a quarter final match against Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-1. Musetti dropped only a point on his service games. Musetti earned an early break in the first game with a forehand winner. Musetti earned a set point in the ninth game, but Thompson saved it with a smash. The Italian player served out the first set at love in the 10th game. The world number 25 player broke serve in the third game with a backhand passing shot and earned a second break in the fifth game and won eight of his next nine points to close out the second set 6-1.
