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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Michelsen defeated Nakashima 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, making the most of his fourth consecutive appearance in the US Open main draw.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Michelsen kept up the unrelenting pressure in closing out the third set, 6-4, without significant fanfare to keep his New York run alive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n