It’s time for the semifinal round of the 2023 ATP Winston-Salem Open. This is the last ATP Tour event before the US Open, and the last opportunity to grab some match rhythm for the Slam. Who will make even more out of it and reach Saturday’s final?
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-head: First meeting
Editor’s Note: Korda withdrew before this matchup was even set, but we predict it just for fun anyway.
Is this the Sebastian Korda ‘great warm-up before the Slam/disappointment in the big event’ drill that we saw around Wimbledon? There’s no way of knowing yet. But it’s wonderful to see the American finding something again and he’s picked up a few quality wins this week, including over Marton Fucsovics, who’ll be his first-round opponent in New York.
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This is Jiri Lehecka’s third ATP Tour semifinal and he’ll be hungry for a result after blowing match points against Andy Murray in the previous one (and being up a set on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first). However, Korda is likelier to win with a more polished-up game and way more consistency. We’ll see how both players are impacted motivation-wise by the looming US Open.
Prediction: Korda in 3
Borna Coric vs Sebastian Baez
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a pretty incredible situation as these two already know they’ll be playing each other in the opening round of the US Open on Tuesday. Borna Coric’s ranking tally took a huge hit when he only defended 45 of his 1000 points at Cincinnati. However, it’s certainly not the end of the world for the 26-year-old as he remains in the top 30 and in Grand Slam seeding range.
Sebastian Baez isn’t as weak on hard courts as some of his results would suggest and the Argentinian has been a beast at the ATP 250 level this year with two titles (Cordoba, Kitzbuhel). He’s also on an 8-match win streak now. A confident Baez can be a threat to Coric even on this surface, but it’s the top seed who remains the favorite.
Prediction: Coric in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
