At the start of the second round in Melbourne, the fans will see a repeat of last year’s match, which left Karen Khachanov with unpleasant memories. On that occasion Alex Michelsen sensationally knocked him out, but a few months later he took revenge at the National Bank Open.
Karen Khachanov
Karen Khachanov starts the season slightly out of rhythm after a poor start at the Hong Kong Open, where he lost to Michael Mmoh (6:7, 6:7), but he traditionally raises his level in Australia. Over the past nine years the Russian has always made it through the first round of the Australian Open, and in 2023 he went as far as the semi-finals, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets. Against Alex Michelsen, Khachanov is level at 1:1 in their head-to-head, but on both occasions the players went to a tie-break.
Alex Michelsen
Alex Michelsen, by contrast, plays with variety, focusing on defence and a patient, reactive style. However, his statistics against top-20 opponents speak for themselves: five defeats in his last six matches. Yes, the American has been a stable presence in the top 40, but his successes have more been the result of a favourable schedule than a real breakthrough in his level of play. At his last nine tournaments he was eliminated in the first round on six occasions.
Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen Prediction
Alex Michelsen is a serious opponent for Karen Khachanov, but he has enough quality to get past his opponent. The match is likely to be long, with at least four sets played or a tie-break, which favours a bet on Khachanov to win in a high-total match.
