You really must feel for 25-year-old Seb Korda. The lanky American burst onto the scene in 2020, reaching the 4th round of the French Open as a 20-year-old qualifier.
2025 ATP Tour
ATP 250
Hangzhou Open
Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Centre, Hangzhou, China (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 32 Matches- 17th September
Seb Korda 0.49 vs Adam Walton 1.6
He reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2023 Aussie Open and looked set for a bright future at the top of the sport. But he has suffered through some big injuries in recent seasons, undergoing surgery on a right elbow issue last year. He started this season encouragingly, finishing runner-up at the Adelaide International. He couldn’t convert that into a meaningful Aussie Open run, but he did bounce back with a highly creditable quarterfinal run in Miami. He underwhelmed during the clay-court swing and would go on to miss the entirety of the grass-court season due to a shin issue. He made a triumphant return to action at Winston Salem, reaching the semifinals before withdrawing due to illness. He ran into more injury issues at Flushing Meadows, with a lower back issue forcing him to withdraw while trailing Cam Norrie by two sets. It’s hard to tell which version of Korda we are likely to get this week.
Another graduate of the American college system, former University of Tennessee graduate Adam Walton has been making nice little strides this year. Walton won a Challenger event in Brisbane and would go onto reach the 4th round for a Masters event for the first time in his career in Miami. He reached his maiden ATP semifinal at the Los Cabos Open and upset Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati. He showed further pedigree at the US Open, upsetting Ugo Humbert in his opening match before crashing out in the 2nd round. Walton played defensive tennis at college and has worked on becoming more aggressive since turning pro. Still, he hasn’t got incredible weaponry, relying on tactical superiority and incredible fitness (not too unlike compatriot de Minaur). He will look to test Korda’s fitness, moving him from side to side while throwing in the occasional drop-shot to test the American’s afterburners.
The Verdict: Korda to win in straight sets at 1.22- This will be their first career meeting. Korda looked excellent at Winston-Salem and should have too much firepower for Walton. Korda has had three weeks to recover and should feel revitalized going into this match.
Adrian Mannarino (6) 0.67 vs Y.B. Wu 1.17
French throwback artist Adrian Mannarino has enjoyed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent tennis memory. The lefty- who broke into the top 20 at the beginning of last season- had been on a downward spiral for most of the last 18 months. He struggled to string together wins in the early portion of the season, battling to qualify for many events. It appeared as if time had finally caught up with the chip-and-slice merchant. But a 3rd round run at Wimbledon seemed to reawaken something for Mannarino, who would go on to finish runner-up at the subsequent Hall of Fame Open. He reached the final 16 in Cincinnati and would then enjoy a career-best 4th round run at the US Open. Now ranked 53rd in the world, Mannarino has a decent shot of somehow finishing the year ranked inside the top 50!
Next up for Mannarino is World No.196 Yibing Wu. Wu created some incredible history a few years back, becoming the first Chinese player in the Open Era to win an ATP Tour title at the 2023 Dallas Open. He couldn’t build on that triumph due to a series of debilitating injuries. Injury has truncated his 2025 campaign but he still managed to claim a Challenger title in Texas. He also came through qualifying in Washington to reach the 3rd round. Wu failed to qualify for the main draw of the recent US Open and hopes to draw some confidence in front of his home crowd. Wu- who was born and still resides in Hangzhou- is a huge favourite here and should enjoy some fanatical support.
The Verdict: Wu to win in three at 4– Wu leads the head-to-head 1-0, easing past the Frenchman in straight sets en route to his 2023 Dallas Open crown. I honestly think this has upset potential written all over it. Wu hits the ball flat and could overpower Mannarino if he gets into his rhythm. I just think that the home advantage could prove a decisive factor.
