Sebastian Korda is into the final of the ATP tournament in Delray Beach, Florida, after a semi-final win over third-seeded Flavio Cobolli

Sebastian Korda is into the final of the ATP tournament in Delray Beach, Florida, after a semi-final win over third-seeded Flavio Cobolli

Sebastian Korda reached his first ATP final in more than a year on Saturday, toppling third-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 to book a title showdown with Tommy Paul in Delray Beach, Florida.

"I think it was a great match," said Korda. "I think I served pretty well. I didn't have too many pressure situations on my serve, and that opens up the returns.

"I think I played a great tie-breaker, and then after that, I just started feeling the ball a little bit better, returning a little better and put some pressure on him."

Korda didn't face a break point as he produced a strong service performance that included a dozen aces.

He will play in the Delray Beach final for the second time, having finished runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz in 2021.

This time he will be up against fifth-seeded fellow American Paul, who rallied to beat fourth-seeded compatriot Learner Tien 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Paul is in his first final since he lifted the trophy in Stockholm in 2024. He had been 0-5 in semi-finals since then.

"He obviously was playing amazing tennis in the first (set)," said Paul, who was hindered last season by injuries including a ruptured foot ligament and an abdominal strain.

"I felt like I was really struggling to stay with him. I felt like he was doing everything a little bit better than me. I knew I had to mix things up and try to change the rhythm... I thought I did a great job mixing it up."

bb/jfx

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.