3 Americans!

An American matchup, and on the other side Michelsen is also in the semis, they’re on fire!!

Kovacevic is in the semi-finals but I think he’s the one who’s impressed me the least so far. Then again, the others have set the bar high, especially Nakashima, who to me is establishing himself as a genuine top-20 player. He’s kept his precision on serve and from the baseline while adding a bit more well-judged aggressiveness. He’s also maintained a very professional, impeccable attitude, which makes him an extremely focused player and very hard to beat. He’s just taken out Fokina, Halys, and Collignon, a really solid list of wins given the current level of all three. Kovacevic is also improving well and adding elements to his game, but I don’t think he’s at Nakashima’s level yet. He beat an out-of-form Kyrgios, a Norrie who was cooked after one set, and Mpetshi in a match that wasn’t really much about tennis. I don’t blame him, since he doesn’t choose his opponents, but I’ve just been less convinced by him despite the good level. This will be their first meeting, and I see it the same way I did Nakashima’s recent matches: in my opinion he’s better on serve and more solid from the back of the court, and I also think he’s stronger mentally. His previous opponents were just as dangerous as Kova and he handled them the way he needed to. I think once again I’m going to side with him rather than take a chance on Kovacevic.