Delray Beach – For the moment, Alex Michelsen is content to be the last American upright, holding a 39th row in career after a stay in the fourth round in the January Australian Open.
Winning a Grand Slam title is not yet on the 20 -year radar. But Michelsen wants to win his first ATP title.
“I want to win an ATP title at some point,” said Michelsen this week. “This is my biggest goal this year. I had a match point last year in the final in Newport. I was near. ”
Michelsen, who is from Laguna Hills, in California, was again close but not a victory cigar under Florida’s sun without Saturday.
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With n ° 4, Champion twice, Taylor FritzEvinced from the tournament, Michelsen had his great opening, but did not capitalize in the semi-finals at Delray Beach Open.
After losing a break in equality of first set, the third seeded Michelsen was withered in the heat while the seeded n ° 7 Miomir Kecmanovic prevailed in an upheaval 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to qualify for his second final of Delray Beach.
“Difficult conditions – the sun, the wind but no apologies,” said Michelsen. “He played very well when he needed it and I didn’t do it.”
Sunday at 3 p.m., Kecmanovic, 25, ranked 56thwill be facing Spain Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He beat the Italian Matteo Arnaldi, 6-4, 6-4, in the semi-finals on Saturday evening.
It will be the first final of Delray without American since 2019 after Fokina (Spain) has turned Fritz upside down in the quarterfinals on Friday evening in two equality breaks.
“I tried not to give him time,” said Kecmanovic about his defeat of Michelsen. “If he has time, he is very dangerous. He can obviously hit the ball so I kept it in motion. ”
Michelsen lost the accent in equality break at 3-3. After a Kemchanov AS, Michelsen has doubled to late 5-3. Then he put a return to the net and shouted to his coaches “we play with Walmart Balls.”
It was not a compliment. Nor was it on Triple Set Point to shout such a remark. But he is 20 years old and learns.
In the second set, after having been late 3-0, Michelsen shouted: “He has the best setback in the world.”
Michelsen himself has an excellent touch with a net and comes much more than most Americans with a plume of service and volley. He saved a point of setpoint at 5-6 with a stretched head stretch of the rebound.
Michelsen joins Taylor Fritz as American males with 50 victories before 21
Michelsen is also animated on the field, shaking his first or shaking his racket after winning points and the song shouted hard throughout the match. He is the only active American man other than Fritz to record 50 victories on tour before his 21st birthday.
However, winning a major is always beyond its scope. Michelsen was not even born the last time as an American man won an adult – Andy Roddick in September 2003. Michelson was born a year later, in August 2004.
Michelsen called Breaking The Top 100 “Le Saint Grail”.
“Winning a slam is so difficult for a reason,” said Michelsen. “This is why an American has not done so for a while. If I become much better an athlete and I receive more free points from my service, especially in a better 5, I would be more likely. »»
Michelsen added: “It’s a big bump to win your first snap. (Alex) Zverev is incredible and he did not win a slam. So, if he hasn’t won slam, it’s going to be difficult for me too. I don’t think I have to win a slam for my career. Obviously, if I did, it would end my life. I would be so ecstatic.
Fritz, who did the final of the United States, fell on Friday evening in a stunning 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) of Fokina, ending his Delray sequence and his luck with a “three peat “. Fokina is now leading their heads -3-1.
Two years ago, Kecmanovic lost against Fritz in the Delray final. The Serbian had only made another final since then. Until Saturday, when he and his coaches barked back and forth in Serbian in the last match.
“The other two guys (semi-final) play well,” said Kecmanovic. “It will not be easy. Taylor has always been a battle. Difficult fight for him but excited to have another blow on a title. ”
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Delray Beach Final
