Sebastian Korda will look to continue his run in Delray Beach in a semifinal showdown with the Brit Cameron Norrie on Tuesday. Qualifier Christian Harrison is in action against No. 4 seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Sebastian Korda vs. Cameron Norrie
The first tournament of the year has held plenty of surprises, and Sebastian Korda provided another on Monday night with his upset victory over No. 2 seed John Isner. Korda burst onto the scene in the fall with a remarkable run to the round of 16 at the French Open, where he was a qualifier.
The young American elected to stay in the United States to play Delray rather than travel to Dubai for Australian Open qualifying. The gamble paid off, as Korda finds himself in the semifinals with a good shot at making the final.
Cameron Norrie’s results were a mixed bag in 2020. He finished the season with a 9-13 record and has seen his ranking plummet from a career-high No. 41 in 2019 down to No. 74. The Brit took out popular American Frances Tiafoe in the quarters. Norrie is certainly the more experienced of the two men, but Korda is playing at home and he has been on a hot streak since his run in Paris. This feels like the beginning of big things for the American.
Cheryl pick: Korda in 3
Ricky pick: Korda in 3
(Q) Christian Harrison vs. (4) Hubert Hurkacz
Christian Harrison spent a long time having and recovering from surgeries. The American has had a whopping eight surgeries on various body parts since 2009, with a ranking that plummeted to 789th as a result. To say that his run to the semifinals came from out of nowhere is no exaggeration.
Harrison was forced to qualify in Delray, but after two qualifying wins and another three main-draw victories, the American finds himself in the semifinals. Unfortunately for Harrison, he runs into the talented Pole Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday.
Hurkacz is ranked 35th in the world. He had a strong start to the 2020 season, with a semifinal showing in Auckland, although he struggled when the season returned in September from the COVID layoff. This is likely where Harrison’s fairytale run ends.
Cheryl pick: Hurkacz in 2
Ricky pick: Hurkacz in 2
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