By Ehichoya Janet
American tennis star Sebastian Korda delivered a major upset at the Miami Open, defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to knock the Spaniard out in the third round.
Korda, ranked 36th in the world, capitalised on a slow start from Alcaraz to claim the opening set. Although the Spaniard rallied to take the second, the American showed composure in the निर्णider, breaking for a 4-3 lead after forcing an error and eventually sealing victory on his second match point.
Alcaraz, 22, had briefly shifted momentum in the second set, breaking Korda to love when the American was serving for the match, but could not sustain that level in the final set as Korda held firm under pressure.
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Despite the loss, Alcaraz remained positive about his progress ahead of the clay-court season.
“I think the process has been good. Besides the loss today, I think I’m still in the right way,” he said. “In previous tournaments, there were things I didn’t feel comfortable with, but here I started to feel better and better.”
He also acknowledged the fearless approach of lower-ranked opponents.
“They have more to win than to lose in those matches. They’re playing without pressure,” Alcaraz noted. “I’m not thinking about my pressure. I’m just trying to play my best.”
The result marks one of the biggest wins of Korda’s career and a significant moment in this year’s tournament.