Mixed fortunes for Americans: Alex Michelsen shines, Taylor Fritz falters at Australian Open

Mixed fortunes for the Americans as Taylor Fritz was eliminated by Gael Monfils, while Alex Michelsen stunned Karen Khachanov with his second victory against a top-20 player at the Australian Open. Fritz misses out on the second week of a major after five consecutive appearances, while Michelsen reaches the fourth round for the first time.

Michelsen stuns Khachanov

Alex Michelsen (No. 42) pulled off a surprise by eliminating Karen Khachanov (No. 19) in straight sets, keeping his Australian Open run alive. The 20-year-old American claimed his second top-20 victory in the tournament with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2.

Michelsen, who previously defeated 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening round, now advances to the fourth round, where he will face the winner of the clash between Francisco Cerúndolo (31st seed) and home favourite Alex de Minaur (8th seed).

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The young American continues to prove that the new generation of players is here to signal a generational shift. Michelsen excelled in critical moments, saving 2 of 3 break points while converting all 4 break opportunities handed to him by Khachanov.

In the first set, both players relied on strong service games, but Michelsen capitalized on his first break point in the eighth game and comfortably closed the set 6-3. In the second set, Khachanov secured an early break and led 4-1, but the American fought back to push it to a tie-break, which he clinched on his first set point.

In the third set, Khachanov's inconsistency became evident, especially with his first-serve percentage dropping to 48% compared to over 65% in the previous sets. Michelsen dominated the decisive moments, securing an early break and holding serve to seal the victory 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2.

Fritz crashes out: Monfils sends World No. 4 packing in Melbourne

Taylor Fritz was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open, ending his streak of five consecutive second-week appearances in Grand Slam tournaments. The world No. 4 started strong, maintaining control with his serve and capitalizing on an opportunity in the eighth game to break Monfils' serve and take the first set 6-3.

The second set remained tight, with neither player facing break points until the very end. Just as a tie-break seemed inevitable, Monfils broke Fritz’s serve to claim the set 7-5.

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Gradually, Monfils gained momentum, buoyed by crowd support, and entered the third set in high spirits. Fritz remained strong on serve, creating a couple of break-point chances in the sixth game, but failed to convert. The set proceeded to a tie-break, where Monfils showcased his experience to secure it 7-6(1).

Motivated by the crowd, Monfils carried his energy into the fourth set. Despite facing some challenges and saving two break points, he maintained parity. In the ninth game, Monfils created opportunities, broke Fritz’s serve, and took the lead amid a roaring crowd. He closed out the match 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-4, delivering one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

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