The All-American Quarterfinal

Who will shine the brightest in New York?

I think we can safely say that the entire North American hardcourt swing has been a success for the Americans. We have seen them go deep in every tournament, and despite Tien's loss yesterday, we will have one American in the semifinal. Tiafoe managed to reach the final in Cincinnati while playing well, but not outstandingly. His draw here at the USO has been pretty tough as well... starting with three big servers in Damm, Sakamoto, and Vacherot. Then, he had to defeat someone he really struggles with, Medvedev. It was not an easy match by any means, and the fact that he got it done in straight sets is a bit mind-blowing (Medvedev helped a bit with that). Tiafoe definitely deserves to be here; even if his tennis can be a bit streaky at times, the ceiling is very high! He is also someone who can really work the crowd in his favor. He did mention that he felt a bit worn out before facing Vacherot; however, he didn't drop a set in his next two matches, so take that as you will.

Well, speaking of not dropping a set... Michelsen has not; he has won all his four matches in straight sets. This is something quite unusual with Alex; he tends to have some mental lapses that lead to him dropping sets or getting broken. However, I think this is something that he has, obviously, gotten a lot better at (not doing). Michelsen is playing some very good tennis right now; everything is clicking. Serving, returning, forehand, backhand, and net play. I also find him quite good tactically, and he tends to keep a good attitude during matches, with a lot of self-motivation. I would say that his biggest vulnerability is his movement when he has to defend a lot, thus preventing him from playing aggressively and dictating. That's also another part I want to mention... he has been playing a lot more aggressively than usual, which I think really enables his game. He has been great in all of his matches, but I'll just add a small note that the matchups have been rather fortunate.

This should be quite a fun matchup. Both players serve well and have powerful forehands... as well as solid backhands, with a slight advantage to Michelsen. We also have two players who are both very comfortable in the forecourt, so hopefully we will be treated to some nice cat-and-mouse points! Tiafoe is the better mover and also the more experienced player; he has made the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals once in the last four years, amazing. I do think that experience might play a big role in this match, even though I really find Michelsen calm and composed in the big matches and moments as well. Something that could possibly tilt the match in Michelsen's favor is his return quality... he is a great returner, consistently. Tiafoe has his moments where he really feels it and returns well, but it's a lot more unpredictable. May the best American win ;)