Quimper Challenger 2021: Sebastian Korda vs Enzo Couacaud preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Sebastian Korda vs Enzo Couacaud

Date: 29 January 2021

Tournament: Open Quimper Bretagne 2021

Round: Quarterfinals

Venue: Quimper, France

Category: ATP Challenger

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 9.30 pm IST

Prize money: €88,520

Sebastian Korda vs Enzo Couacaud preview

Sebastian Korda overcame yet another tight three-setter at the Quimper Challenger on Thursday, coming back from behind to beat Mathias Bourgue in the Round of 16. The 20-year-old won 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, and will now take on another Frenchman in the form of Enzo Couacaud.

Korda has shown some sublime form in 2021 so far, having made the final at the Delray Beach Open earlier this month. The second-seeded American is one of the favorites for the title at Quimper, but it must be noted that he isn’t playing as fluently as he was in Florida.

That said, Sebastian Korda can take pride in the fact that he has won ugly when needed. The 20-year-old overturned a 1-5 deficit in the deciding set tiebreak of his first-round match, and against Bourgue on Thursday he played out of his skin in the second set tiebreak to remain alive.

Korda served 12 aces and coughed up just one double fault in the second round. The lanky American used his first serve as a get-out-of-jail card, winning a mammoth 85% of the points on that shot.

Home hope Enzo Couacaud meanwhile knocked out countryman Evan Furness in another closely-contested three-setter. The 25-year-old, currently ranked 211 in the world, won 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

In the first round Couacaud beat sixth seed and highly-rated Austrian Jurij Rodionov, and he seems high on confidence right now. The Frenchman has served up 19 aces in his two matches so far.

Sebastian Korda vs Enzo Couacaud head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between Sebastian Korda and Enzo Couacaud on tour. As such, their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Sebastian Korda vs Enzo Couacaud prediction

Sebastian Korda

Sebastian Korda has had his fair share of ups and downs in Quimper so far, but he has displayed tremendous grit to stay afloat. Korda has shown that he can bring out his best tennis in the most crucial moments, and that trait will be particularly useful at the business end of the tournament.

Enzo Couacaud will likely be a tricky test for Korda though. The Frenchman excels at baseline exchanges and also has the extra bit of power needed to find winners from the back end of the court.

But Couacaud’s serve can be erratic at times, and the American would look to take advantage of that. If Korda manages to keep the points short and avoid playing into Couacaud's strengths, he would be backed to make it to the last four.

Prediction: Sebastian Korda to win in three sets.