Sebastian Korda - Karen Khachanov predictions and free betting tips [18/06/2024]

The ATP 500 title on grass is being contested in London, one of the most popular tournaments on the tour. Karen Khachanov will play in the British capital, facing off against American Sebastian Korda in the first round. Let's evaluate these tennis players to find a good betting option for their head-to-head match.

Karen Khachanov

Khachanov will not be attending the Paris Olympics, which means he will prepare for ATP tournaments without any additional burden. Karen's main goal is to prepare well for the grass-court major and simply get in shape to aim for significant awards.

Last season, Khachanov won an ATP 250 title and performed well in several Grand Slams, including Roland Garros, where he secured hard-fought wins, though he struggled against Djokovic to display top-tier tennis. In Melbourne, he reached the semi-final, as well as in the Miami Masters, but always seemed to lack something, with his play style often too predictable for many opponents. Khachanov is frequently compared to Del Potro, especially when the Russian runs around his forehand and hits under the baseline or serves his first ball.

This year, Khachanov is performing moderately. The Russian tennis player won a title in Qatar, but the draw was relatively simple, although he had to work hard in the final against Jakub Mensik, whom Khachanov outplayed with experience in the decisive match for the title. Khachanov found little success on clay, and his start on grass was unsuccessful in 's-Hertogenbosch, where he lost to Alexander Vukic, revealing all his technical shortcomings. The Russian's serve was inconsistent, and his baseline shots often led to unforced errors rather than winners. Still, Khachanov could have won that match if he hadn't entirely failed in the tie-break of the deciding set.

Against Korda, Khachanov needs to play from his serves and avoid extended rallies with the American, as Korda's playing style is well-suited for clever shot combinations on grass. Khachanov often makes mistakes in long exchanges, meaning the Russian will likely play without much creativity, hitting cross-court shots flat and with power.

Sebastian Korda

Korda faces issues with his results, despite being a regular contender for trophies but unable to clinch them.

Last season, the American lost two finals: Novak Djokovic bested him in Adelaide, and Adrian Mannarino defeated him in Astana. Additionally, there were semi-finals at various tournaments, including the current Queen's Club, where Sebastian overcame three strong opponents but couldn't surpass the super-powerful Carlos Alcaraz. We can also consider last year's Australian Open successful for Korda, incidentally losing to Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals of that major in Melbourne. However, during that match, the American got injured and missed the home Masters and several other hard-court tournaments.

This year, Korda hasn't been playing as powerfully. Nevertheless, in the last tournament in 's-Hertogenbosch, the American reached the final, losing to Alex de Minaur. Both he and the Australian didn't play their best match, and in the second set, Sebastian could have come back from 2-5. However, after breaking, he lost his serve in the decisive game.

Korda arrived in London both tired and prepared, but we'll see which advantages and disadvantages will be significant in the match against Khachanov. Khachanov could play too confidently in his typical mode, not allowing Korda to outplay him technically.

Head-to-Head

The record stands at 3-2 in favour of Karen Khachanov in matches against Korda. They have played only once against each other on grass: in 2021, at Wimbledon, the Russian narrowly defeated the American in the final set with a score of 10-8.

Match Prediction: Karen Khachanov vs. Sebastian Korda

If we anticipate a tie-break in the match, placing a bet on TO 23.5 games could be wise, as the players might also play three sets. Options like 7-6; 7-6, or scores such as 2-1 or 1-2 in sets, seem quite achievable in this match.