Hunger for Revenge

Michelsen just barely lost in the Washington quarterfinal...

So yes, we had this battle just recently in Washington! Michelsen was leading the H2H 2-0 and had a match point in Washington as well. So, what is it about his game that bothers Fritz? First of all, he can hold his own decently on serve... he is not as good as Fritz, but serves well enough to not get punished too hard either. He also has a chance against the Fritz serve; he is a good returner who can actually threaten one of the best servers in the game! Besides that, he is a player who is very good at not providing rhythm... varying pace and height, changing direction, and also either forcing Fritz forward a bit toward the net or approaching the net himself, where he is good. When they played in Washington, there was a higher bounce, which is something that Taylor absolutely loves for his forehand... now it's going to be a lower bounce here in Cincinnati. I'm not as certain for Michelsen, but I do think it's a bigger loss for Fritz, with the change in bounce. However, I do think the faster courts are more beneficial for Fritz; he is the one who can get a bit more out of his serve and avoid uncomfortable rallies with Alex.

We also have to mention the possibility of something physical happening with Fritz... he should be recovered after the early exit in Montreal, but we have seen his injuries coming back to affect him a bit during the matches, at least. Michelsen already has a match under his belt here. We had Fritz at 1.40 two weeks ago; now he's at 1.60, which makes sense, considering he was on the verge of losing, and we once again saw how tough this matchup can be for him!