New York, Sep 2 (IANS) World No. 46 Alex Michelsen caused an upset on his way to the third round at the US Open, knocking out No. 16 seed Brandon Nakashima in a methodical second-round clash on the Grandstand on Day 4 on Wednesday.
Michelsen defeated Nakashima 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, making the most of his fourth consecutive appearance in the US Open main draw.
In the first meeting between the two Californians, Michelsen held his nerve when it mattered most, outlasting Nakashima in a compelling clash between two of the next generation of American men’s tennis.
Though 25-year-old Nakashima scored an early break to lead 2-0, 22-year-old Michelsen quickly found his range and advantage in the aggressive baseline slug-fest. Nakashima fought off two set points down 3-5, but was then done in by consecutive forced errors to relinquish the first set.
Michelsen, now recovered from the oblique injury that limited his grass-court season, broke again in the eighth game to lead the second set 5-3. He seized the momentum and served out the second set at love.
Michelsen kept up the unrelenting pressure in closing out the third set, 6-4, without significant fanfare to keep his New York run alive.
Michelsen, who is playing in his fourth consecutive US Open main draw, has now reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the fourth time in his career (following the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and Roland Garros 2026). His victory over Nakashima marks his second win in 10 attempts over a Top 20 opponent this season, since defeating No. 7 Taylor Fritz at Indian Wells.
Nakashima, who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 17 last month, was seeking his third US Open third-round appearance, which he achieved in 2022 and 2024. His 2026 breakthrough season included final appearances at Dallas and semifinal berths at Acapulco, Queen’s Club and Washington. His American hard-court record, powered by reaching the semifinals at Washington D.C., the final at Montreal and the semifinals at Cincinnati, drops to 13-4.
–IANS
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