'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (25) Sebastian Korda vs Max Purcell
Date: April 27, 2024
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: La Caja Majica, Madrid, Spain
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €7,877,020
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Sebastian Korda vs Max Purcell preview
Twenty-fifth seed Sebastian Korda will take on Max Purcell in the second round of the 2024 Madrid Open on Saturday.
Trending
Korda's had a pretty average year so far and has put together an 11-10 record. He started strong with a semifinal run in Adelaide and followed it up with a third-round showing at the Australian Open.
Korda then reached the quarterfinals in Dubai, after which he made it to the third round at Indian Wells and Miami. His results on clay have left a lot to be desired so far. He lost to Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Korda was then upset by qualifier Gregoire Barrere in the first round of the Romanian Open. As one of the seeded players in Madrid, he received a bye into the second round.
Purcell, meanwhile, began his Madrid Open campaign against Marcos Giron. The Australian got broken at the start of the match and didn't recover after that, which cost him the first set.
Purcell landed the first blow in the second set as he snagged a break to go 5-3 up. Giron broke back and stopped him from serving out the set but the Australian secured another break of serve to take the set.
Both players remained steady on serve in the third set, which then went to a tie-break. Purcell gained the upper hand in it to record a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) comeback win.
Sebastian Korda vs Max Purcell head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Sebastian Korda vs Max Purcell odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Sebastian Korda vs Max Purcell prediction
Purcell scored a hard-fought three-set victory over Giron, during which he won 77 percent of his first serve points and struck 31 winners against 21 unforced errors. It was his sixth win of the season.
Korda, on the other hand, will be keen to overturn his muted start to the clay swing. He won just a lone match on the surface last year as well but he was on the comeback trail after an injury back then.
Korda also doesn't have a stellar track record in Madrid. He hasn't made it past the second round so far and has just a solitary win at the venue. However, this seems like his best chance to change that statistic.
Purcell has a 5-12 record against players ranked in the top 30 and has lost his last five matches against them. He hasn't contested that many matches on clay either. If Korda can put his best foot forward, then he shouldn't have a problem making it to the next round.
Pick: Sebastian Korda to win in three sets.
