I think that Alex Michelson will probably be fairly pleased with his decision to skip college tennis and go pro. The American reached two finals last year and still has plenty of room to grow.
2025 ATP Tour
ATP 250
US Men’s Clay Court Championships
River Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Round of 16 Matches- 3rd April
Alex Michelson (5) 0.2 vs Adrian Mannarino 3.4
He started his 2025 campaign in terrific style, reaching the quarters in Auckland before an exceptional 4th round run at the Aussie Open. Michelson beat Tsitsipas in the first round of the Aussie Open (his first win against a top 15 player at a slam). He would go on to reach the semis in Delray Beach but has struggled to make serious inroads since then (he did withdraw from Indian Wells due to illness). The 5th seed looked in fine form in his opener, taking down 2025 breakthrough sensation Learner Tien 6-4, 6-2. He overwhelmed the lefty with his serve, winning 87% of his first-serve points. An aggressive player who likes to approach the net, it will be interesting to see how he handles this transition to clay.
Wow, a year is a long time in professional sport. Crafty Frenchman Adrian Mannarino broke into the top 20 in the world for the first time last year, reaching a high of 17 after reaching the semifinals of the United Cup. But the 36-year-old has hit the proverbial brick wall since then, dropping well outside the top 100 due to a string of poor results. He came into this week’s tournament with a 3-10 record for the season (challengers and qualifiers included). Ouch! His brand of tricky counterpunching looks antiquated in this era of power-based tennis. He is 36 years of age now and can’t physically outdo his opponents likes he used to. Mannarino is doing it the hard way in Charleston, coming through two three-set qualifiers before a somewhat comfortable 7-6, 6-3 win over Yannick Hanfmann. Mannarino has never taken to the sticky stuff, failing to reach an ATP clay-court final while never going beyond the 2nd round of the French Open. He likes faster surfaces when he can redirect power: he can’t create his own power on clay.
The Verdict: Michelson to win in straight-sets at 0.61- These two share the head-to-head spoils at one win apiece, with Michelson winning their most recent meeting at last year’s Mallorca Open. This should be a procession for Michelson. He looked very composed against Tien (who- like Mannarino- is a lefty). Everything looks a struggle for the Frenchman and I wouldn’t be too surprised if he calls an end to his career soon.
