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Sebastian Korda's "disrespectful" retirement in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships against Andrey Rublev frustrated tennis fans online.
Korda advanced to the quarterfinals in Dubai, after defeating Pavel Kotov and Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, and faced off against the second seed Rublev.
Rublev was in the lead with a score of 6-4, 4-3 when Korda decided to retire due to an injury. The exact nature of Korda's injury is still unknown, but it appeared to be an abdominal issue as he was seen clutching his stomach several times during the match.
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Following Sebastian Korda's withdrawal, Andrey Rublev advanced to the semifinal at the Dubai Tennis Championships. He will next face Alexander Bublik, who also secured a spot in the last four after his opponent Jiri Lehecka forfeited the match due to an injury.
The fact that Korda withdrew moments before he was set to lose the match left the tennis fans disappointed. Many even took to social media to share their thoughts and frustrations.
One fan compared Korda's body to "glass" and to Argentine Juan Martin del Potro and Japan's Kei Nishikori who are also prone to injuries. The fan also noted that Korda's similarities with the two players ended there as he did not possess "the same talent level" as them.
"Korda's got a body of glass like Delpo or Nishikori without the same talent level," a fan posted on Reddit.
Another fan expressed their disappointment, calling Korda's retirement "unfair and disrespectful." They questioned the timing of the injury, suggesting that Korda only seemed to be injured when he was losing. They also believed that Korda could have continued playing and given credit to Andrey Rublev for "winning" the match.
"Nothing against Korda & Lehecka, but this was unfair & disrespectful. I understand ur health is more important, but they were completely healthy when they were winning yesterday. When were they injured?! They could stay for 2 more games to give their opponents credit for the win," the fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Sebastian Korda's sole title win came at Emilia-Romagna Open 2021
Sebastian Korda's first and only title win came at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open, where he did not lose a single set on his way to securing the title.
Korda began his campaign by defeating Italian veteran Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4 in the first round, followed by victory over Lorenzo Sonego with a score of 6-1, 7-5 in the second round. He continued his winning streak by defeating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and his compatriot Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals, to secure his spot in the final.
In the summit clash, Sebastian Korda faced Italian wild card Marco Cecchinato and defeated him 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour and 15 minutes. This win not only marked Korda's first ATP Tour title but also made him the first American in 11 years to claim a trophy on European clay, following Sam Querrey's victory at the 2010 Serbia Open.
