An all-American quarterfinal showdown is upon us in Houston! Alongside Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen, Tommy Paul, Colton Smith, Chris Eubank, and Brandon Nakashima, Jenson Brooksby and Aleksandar Kovačević are also set to fight it out for a place in the last four. For American tennis lovers, this week is nothing less than a dream. All quarterfinalists belonging to the same nationality. A sight last witnessed in 1991 in Orlando. On Friday, two rising US stars, Brooksby and Kovacevic, will lock horns in order to win their first maiden SF spot in Houston. But who’s got an edge to have the last laugh? Let’s find out!

Jenson Brooksby v Aleksandar Kovacevic: Preview

Jenson Brooksby has had a rough 2025 season, to say the least. Back in January, he started his journey with the Australian Open, where he was ousted in the first round itself. Compatriot and World No.4 Taylor Fritz edged him out in straight sets. Brooksby then went to Cleveland, where he crashed out in the first round as well. The fate remained unchanged in the next event, too, in Dallas. In San Diego, he managed to win the first round battle but couldn’t go past the next stage after losing to compatriot Ethan Quinn.

Last month, during the Sunshine Double, he won his first two matches at the Indian Wells. However, Brooksby failed to make a deep run with a defeat against the eventual winner, Jack Draper, in R32. Then in Miami, he crashed out of the first stage itself, with a loss to Roman Safiullin. His campaign in Houston almost came to an end in the R16 encounter on Wednesday.

Against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, he survived the first set loss to come back in the next two. Eventually, he sealed his QF spot with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) victory in two hours and 49 minutes.

Speaking of his QF opponent and compatriot Aleksandar Kovačević, his 2025 season has been just slightly better. After failing to qualify for the Australian Open, he returned to the court last month at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. The 26-year-old succeeded in reaching the final battle of this event. Unfortunately, he lost to Canada’s Felix-Auger Aliassime.

His next main ATP destination was in the Californian desert, at the BNP Paribas Open. Sadly, Kovacevic crashed out of the first round, losing to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. Then in Miami, too, the result didn’t change. He was ousted in R128 after a straight-set loss to Serbian Miomir Kecmanović.

In Houston, however, the American has maintained a steady run. In his opener, he beat Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry before taking out Frenchman Corentin Denolly in R16.

Brooksby vs Kovacevic: Head-to-Head

Kovacevic and Brooksby are set to clash for the second time in their careers, marking their first encounter on the ATP main tour. Their only previous meeting occurred in 2019 at a Futures event on the hard courts of Champaign, where Brooksby secured a straight-sets victory, 6-4, 6-3.

Prediction: Kovacevic to win in straight sets

With his R16 win over Tabilo, Brooksby became the lowest-ranked quarterfinalist in ATP Houston’s history. Now, speaking of his event history, it’s not impressive at all. Back in 2022, he made his Houston debut where he was ousted in the R32. The current campaign has marked his best run yet, being in the last eight.

On the other hand, Kovacevic has played in two previous editions of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships. In past appearances (2023 and 2024), he couldn’t leave an impression after crashing out in R32 and R16, respectively. Similar to Brooksby, the 2025 edition has marked his best run yet, having reached to the Round of 8.

When it comes playing styles, Brooksby is generally known for his unorthodox counterpunches. He prefers to hit them from the baseline, alongside his focus on outlasting opponents in long rallies. In short, he doesn’t rely too much on strong serves or forehands.

On the contrary, Kovacevic depends heavily on delivering a powerful serve. Combine that up with an aggressive stroke-making from the baseline to dictate rallies. He’s an all-court player, meaning he can easily cover the distance between the baseline and the net. Thus, it eliminates the weakness of having just one-dimensional performance.

Both players basically look the same in terms of form this season. However, Kovacevic may have a slight edge over his compatriot. Why? So far, he hasn’t dropped a set in Houston this week. On the other hand, Brooksby had to fight hard to overcome Tabilo’s challenge in the last match. Going into Friday’s quarterfinal clash, Aleksandar Kovačević is expected to enter the semis with a straight-set win.