Seventeen-year-old Sebastian Korda followed in the footsteps of his father Petr today, when he lifted the Australian boys title after beating Chun Hsin Tseng 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in 1 hour and 31 minutes in the Melbourne final. Sebastian has won the biggest title of his career so far. Chinese Taipei was also represented in the girls final where 17-year-old Shuo Liang beat Clara Burel 6-3 6-4.
In the 1998 edition of the Australian Open Petr Korda fought back from two sets down to beat Jonas Bjorkman in the quarter final and went on to beat Marcelo Rios 6-2 6-2 6-2 to lift his only Grand Slam title representing Czech Republic. Exactly twenty years later Petr’s son Sebastian won the Australian Open boys title representing the USA.
Sebastian is the second US player to win the Australian Open boys title since Donald Young in 2005. The young US player of Czech origin converted three of the eight break points he created, fired nine aces and won six points than Tseng.
Tseng earned an early break at love in the first game of the opening set. The Cinese player hit a service winner to open up a 2-0 lead. Korda broke back in the fourth game with a smash winner to draw level to 2-2. Tseng saved two break points in the 8th game before earning a break point chance in the 11th game.
Korda saved two break points with his forehand and brought up a set point in the next game. Tseng fended it off with a service winner to force the match to the tie-break. Tseng raced out to a 5-2 lead in the tie-break but Korda hit two winners to claw his way back to 4-5. The US player fended off a set point with a service winner at 5-6 and got a decisive mini-break to clinch the tie-break by 8-6 when Tseng sent a forehand long on the 14th point.
Tseng got an early break in the second game of the second set, as Korda made a forehand error. Korda broke straight back in the next game. The US teenager earned another break in the fifth game with a forehand winner. The next five games went on serve and Korda hit three winners in the 10th game to clinch the biggest title of his career.
“Every tournament I go to. I always want to win it, no matteri f I am playing a Challenger event or a Future. I always think I can always have a good chance of winning it”, said Sebastian Korda.
Korda’s sister Jessica won her first career title at the 2012 Women’s LPGA Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
“It’s definitely special, including being here in Australia. My sister won her first title here as well. My dad won his only Grand Slam title here. I want to wish a happy birthday to my father. The main goal here was try to get this tournament for my dad’s 50th birthday. My mother’s birthday is on 5th February, so it’s special as well. She is Regina Rajchrtova and played tennis as well”, continued Korda.
Sebastian was not born yet when his father won the 1998 Australian Open, but has had the chance to watch Petr’s Grand Slam win on Youtube many times. Sebastian lives in Bradenton (Florida) and is coached by his father. Petr Korda reached his career high of world number 2 in February 1998.
“I have seen his match on Youtube a lot. I watch it at least once a month. A little bit of motivation, but I have not beaten him !”.
Chinese Taipei’s Liang En Shuo beat France’s Clara Burel 6-3 6-4 to lift the Australian Open girl’s title. Liang opened up a 4-1 lead and held her next service games to seal the first set. Burel got an early break to open up a 2-0 lead. Liang fended off three break points, while she was serving at 5.4, to wrap up the match. Liang had to save two match points to win her semifinal against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Liang started playing piano but was introduced to tennis at the age of six.
“It’s like a dream. I cannot believe. I started playing tennis, because my mother wanted me to have exercise, so she chose tennis for me”, said Liang.
The Taipei player’s next goal is represented by the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. She made her debut in the ITF circuit with two tournaments in Thailand. In the second event she started from the qualifying tournament to reach the final.
“After Melbourne. I will go to more junior events because I have the Youth Olympics this year, so I will try to get into the Youth Olympic Games”, said Liang.
