Currently ranked at a career-high 30th in the world, big-serving American Alex Michelson has been making incremental gains since turning pro (he actually skipped out on college to join the big leagues).
2025 ATP Tour
ATP 500
Mubadala Citi Open (Washington Open)
William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre, Washington D.C. (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 32 Matches- 23rd July
Alex Michelson (13) vs Dan Evans
All three of his career finals have come on American soil- he reached back-to-back Newport finals in 2023 and 2024 and finished runner-up at last year’s Winston Salem Open. He has been a little inconsistent this year, reaching semifinals in Delray Beach and Mallorca (he also won a Challenger in Estoril). He endured some heartbreak at Wimbledon, going down in five sets in a thrilling first-round clash with Miomir Kecmanovic. Michelson will be looking to bank on home advantage and bounce back from that agonizing Wimbledon defeat. As I noted earlier, he reached the Winston-Salem final last year and will look to emulate that run on similar surfaces. First up for Michelson is a potentially resurgent Dan Evans.
Dan Evans returns to the site of his biggest tennis triumph (Davis Cup win aside). The 35-year-old Brit stunned the tennis world here back in 2023, putting six successive tour-level defeats behind him to claim his maiden ATP 500 title. The counterpunching Evans also reached the semifinals of the 2022 Canadian Masters (highlighting his ability to produce solid tennis on these North American hard surfaces). The enigmatic Brit has hamstrung his career with a series of ill-advised decisions (not least of which being that drug ban). He has really struggled to pick up any momentum this season (even at Challenger level). However, he did manage to find a semblance of form on the grass, reaching the Eastbourne quarters before a 2nd round run at SW19. He showed admirable grit in his Washington opener, coming from a set down against Zizou Bergs. It would be just like Evans to come from practically nowhere to put up another determined Washington showing.
The Verdict: Michelson to win in three sets at – This will be their first career meeting. Evans could provide an interesting challenge for Michelson. The Brit won’t mind Michelson taking the initiative in rallies, taking pace off with his backhand slice. Evans- like Michelson- isn’t adverse to some serve-and-volley stylistics. All of that could give Evans a window into the game. Still, Michelson’s pure power should see him over the line in three.
Lorenzo Musetti (2) vs Cameron Norrie
2nd seed Lorenzo Musetti will be looking to bounce after a shock first-round Wimbledon exit to Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvilli. To be fair, Musetti didn’t look a hundred percent fit in London, still recovering from the leg injury that forced him to withdrew midway through his Roland Garros semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz. Musetti started the year slowly but really roared into life on the clay. He finished the European clay-court swing with a 18-4 record, finishing runner-up finish in Monte-Carlo before semifinal runs in Madrid, Rome and Paris. Musetti- a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist last season- doesn’t look quite as imposing on the harder surfaces. The surfaces produce more bounce, mitigating the damage he causes with his array of drop-shots and slices. He will be looking to regather some lost momentum but faces a formidable early challenge in Brit Cameron Norrie.
Is Cameron Norrie back? The Brit has fallen way down the pecking order these last 18 months or so, losing his British No,1 ranking to the formidable Jack Draper. The former Wimbledon semifinalist and Indian Wells champ probably played too much tennis when he was in the middle of that purple patch. He started the year in slightly embarrassing fashion, throwing his racquet into the crown in Auckland before a dismal first-round defeat at the Aussie Open. He battled for consistency after that but found some form with a semifinal run in Geneva. He used that result as a springboard, reaching he 4th round at the French Open before his compelling quarterfinal run at SW19. Norrie has a strong baseline game, employing heavy topspin on that forehand wing while flattening out his backhand. The industrious Brit appears to be approaching peak fitness and might be on the verge of a solid end-of-season run. Having said that, he was far from his best in his Washington opener, taking down fellow Brit Billy Harris 6-3, 7-6 in an error-strewn affair.
The Verdict: Norrie to win in straight sets at – Musetti leads Norrie 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings, winning their most recent clash in straight sets at the 2023 French Open. However, this will be their maiden hardcourt meeting. I think that a rejuvenated Norrie could catch a recovering Musetti a little cold. Norrie will understand the assignment: wear Musetti down by making him fight for every point.
