Huge drama in Hubert Hurkacz’s match. The Pole was a hair’s breadth away from disaster
Hubert Hurkacz started his participation in the ATP 1000 tournament in Paris with victory. The tennis player from Wrocław defeated Sebastian Korda in three sets in the French capital. The win against the American means that the Pole is still in the race for a place in the prestigious ATP Finals.
The best possible ending to the 2023 season. This is the goal of Hubert Hurkacz, who this time went to Paris to gain an important point in the ATP ranking. The ATP 1000 tournament, which is the second most important tournament after the Grand Slam tournaments, is played on hard courts in the capital of France.
Huge drama in the Pole’s match
The first serious challenge for the Pole was a clash with a 23-year-old American. Sebastian Korda is currently number 24 in the ATP rankings. The tennis player from Lower Silesia had to beat the US representative to maintain his hope of participating in the ATP Finals tournament.
The first batch fell to the Poles quite quickly. On a fast surface in Paris, Hurkacz broke Korda at the first opportunity. After nine minutes of the game it was 3-0 for the Wrocław player, who imposed his own style of play. Interestingly, until the score was 5:2, the Polish tennis player served only one ace, but he consistently spread his opponent around the court. Korda failed to break Hurkacz and lost the set 3-6.
The second game started with 2:2, and then Korda asked for the doctor’s intervention. The American grimaced in pain as the bandage was wrapped around his right wrist. However, the Pole consistently implemented his plan. He broke Korda again, keeping his pass very confident. Having 5:4 and his serve, the Wrocław player allowed his opponent to wake up, giving him a chance for break points. Korda took advantage of this and the score was unexpectedly 5-5.
What’s more, despite several chances to break back, the Pole lost the next game and the American went from 4:5 to 6:5. However, the Wroclaw native won the game to zero, reaching the tie-break (6:6). The American started in the most important game with… a 5-0 lead. The Pole was furious after subsequent mistakes, but managed to control his nerves and equalize (5:5). What’s more, Hurkacz even had the match ball (6:5), but ultimately the American took advantage of the Pole’s carelessness. Additionally, you could see a grimace of pain on Hurkacz’s face, similar to the one visible during the recent final in Basel. Out of helplessness, after Korda equalized the match, the Wrocław player leaned on a makeshift fence, right next to his coach.
“Hubi” won against his own weaknesses and those of his rival
The third set started with a draw (3:3). Both tennis players confidently held their service games. Hurkacz is still grimacing, but Korda is extremely calm. In the eighth game, the Wrocław player took advantage of his only chance to break (5:3). The Pole focused on regaining his composure and confidence in his plays, which impressed him in the first hour of the game.
This was achieved, and Hurkacz ended the match with a service ace, closing the match with a score of 6:3.
Hubert Hurkacz is fighting for a place in the ATP Finals
The Wroclaw native has been looking exceptionally good in recent weeks. Hurkacz won the ATP 1000 tournament in Shanghai, and also reached the final of the ATP 500 competition in Basel. In the Race to Turin ranking, the Pole is in ninth position, still having a chance to participate in the ATP Finals. “Hubi” especially targets the American Taylor Fritz and the Dane Holger Rune. Interestingly, all three are playing at the tournament in Paris.
The following players are certain to participate in the ATP Finals in Turin: Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Danił Medvedev, Jamnik Sinner (Italy) and Andrej Rublev. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) and Alexander Zverev (Germany), sixth in the hierarchy, are close to securing a place in the top eight and a ticket to play in the prestigious finale of the season.
