American Alex Michelsen’s breakthrough week hit a brand new excessive Friday on the Infosys Corridor of Fame Open.
The 18-year-old downed fourth seed Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3 to achieve his first tour-level semi-final on the ATP 250 occasion. World No. 190 Michelsen got here out of the blocks robust, dropping only one level behind his first serve within the opening set. {The teenager} then relied on his backhand in key moments to shut the match after one hour, 11 minutes.
“I served rather well, first-serve share was most likely fairly excessive,” Michelsen mentioned in his on-court interview. “The serve was key in the present day and I did not miss too many groundstrokes both, in order that was good.”Â
Michelsen arrived in Newport with out a tour-level match win, however has loved a career-best efficiency, downing defending champion Maxime Cressy, James Duckworth, and McDonald to set a gathering in opposition to prime seed Tommy Paul or John Isner within the final 4.
At present ninth within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Subsequent Gen Race, Michelsen is aiming to make his debut on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the season’s prime eight 21-and-under gamers.
The California native arrived on the grass-court event following his triumph eventually week’s ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Chicago. Michelsen is as much as No. 152 within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Rankings.
