The Australian Open is heating up, and the excitement is off the charts as we head into a Manic Monday! The first three rounds have delivered blockbuster tennis, and the fourth round kicked off with just as much fire. Now, all eyes are on the much-anticipated clash between homegrown hero Alex de Minaur and America’s rising star Alex Michelsen. De Minaur, affectionately dubbed the ‘Demon,’ has the home crowd rallying behind him, ready to roar their support. On the other side of the net is Michelsen, the young gun who’s been turning heads with his fearless play and vibrant energy. Can De Minaur ride the wave of home advantage?

Alex de Minaur vs Alex Michelsen: Preview

Alex Michelsen made big leaps last season by qualifying for the finals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships and the Winston-Salem Open. However, he fell short of a title. This year, he has already made an R16 run at the Brisbane International and also reached the QF at the ASB Classic, during his preparations for the first Grand Slam of the year.

De Minaur has taken out two Top 20 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov, in the ongoing Australian Open so far. His latest match against Khachanov saw him winning in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2. He fired eight aces during the encounter, taking his first serve win percentage to 73, with an average speed of 189 km/h.

On the other hand, Alex de Minaur also depicted stellar tennis last year. He clinched the titles at the Mexican Open and the s-Hertogenbosch, NL, besides reaching the finals in Rotterdam. But he did not play a lot of matches to build up for his campaign in Melbourne, except for a Challenger tour. However, when he entered the Australian Open, he remained completely determined as was evident by his straight-set victories in the first two matches.

De Minaur’s latest match came in the third round against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, where despite losing the first set, he managed to take the match away in four sets, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3. He fired seven aces in the matches with an average 1st serve speed of 190 km/h.  This also helped him take his 1st serve-win percentage to 70. 

Michelsen vs de Minaur: Head-to-Head

Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen have faced each other twice on the ATP Circuits and guess what? They are tied one-each.

• 2024 Los Cabos Open R16: Michelsen 6-4, 6-1.
• 2024 French Open R128: de Minaur 6-1, 6-0, 6-2

Prediction: Alex de Minaur to outshine Michelsen in four sets

Both Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen have depicted immense potential on the courts lately. However, De Minaur seems to have an upper hand Michelsen on Monday. In 2024, de Minaur managed to win 47 of the total 68 matches that he played, taking his win percentage to almost 70. Michelsen, on the other hand, had a winning percentage of 56.

Coming to their playing styles, Michelsen is known for his fierce yet tricky playing style. His strong two-handed backhand, amalgamated with an equally effective and powerful forehand can be really challenging for his opponents on this surface. The young American can often come to the net and finish off the points. Apart from that, Alex Michelsen is also a very good server, which further gives him an edge over his opponents. 

On the other hand, de Minaur is an exceptional returner of the ball. He is also known for his pace and agility on the court which has helped him earn the title of ‘Speed Demon.’ Besides, his unique ability to retrieve seemingly impossible balls and hit winners from even the defensive positions is what makes him a real threat on the Tour.

But besides his skills, there will be yet another factor that will help De Minaur in the match and it is the crowd support. The Australian crowd has been seen cheering hard for the local stars and a similar situation is expected to be witnessed on Monday. Together, these factors will make it difficult for Michelsen to edge past De Minaur on Monday. The prediction is for the Aussie to win this match in four sets.