"Learned this one from dad" - Sebastian Korda credits father Petr after momentarily switching to one-handed backhand during Shanghai Masters QF 

American tennis star Sebastian Korda attributed an exceptional skill to his father after the Shanghai Masters quarterfinal match against Ben Shelton on Thursday. His father Petr Korda is a former men's World No. 2 and the Australian Open champion.

Sebastian Korda secured a thrilling victory over his compatriot Ben Shelton, prevailing with a score of 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6) to reach the last four in China.

This marked their first-ever encounter, and it's worth noting that both of them reached the quarterfinals in their debut appearance at the ATP 1000 tournament.

Sebastian Korda shared a video on his Instagram story, showcasing him executing a one-handed backhand slice and winning a crucial point against Shelton in the match that extended over a duration of two hours and 55 minutes.

"Learned this one from dad," he captioned the video.

Korda reaches Shanghai Masters semifinals

In a post-match press conference, Sebastian Korda said that both he and Shelton played at an exceptionally high level. He noted the abundance of remarkable points in the match and expressed optimism that this was just the beginning of many battles to come between them. Korda also commended Shelton as an electrifying tennis player, saying that it was an enjoyable experience sharing the court with him.

“I played a really high level. Ben did as well, so I think it was a really high level. We had a lot of great points out there and hopefully it’s the first of many battles that we play against each other. He’s such an electric tennis player and it was a lot of fun to share the court with him today,” Korda said.

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Sebastian Korda is poised to go up against Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai Masters SF

China Tennis Shanghai Masters

Sebastian Korda has had an impressive year so far. He achieved his career-high ATP ranking of 25 in June. Prior to reaching the semifinals of the 2023 Shanghai Masters, Korda reached the finals of the Adelaide International 1, where he faced a formidable opponent in the 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

Additionally, the American made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open but was bested by Karen Khachanov. Korda also reached the semifinals of the London/Queen's Club before encountering defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz. He continued his strong performance by reaching the semifinals at Winston-Salem and Zhuhai.

The 23-year-old's second final of the year came in Astana, where he lost to Adrian Mannarino.

Hubert Hurkacz, who is currently 17th in the ATP rankings, will be Korda’s opponent in the semifinals. They have faced off twice, with both having a victory each, and Korda winning their last match at the Australian Open.