Alex Michelsen will compete in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Toronto. In a battle of childhood friends, Alex defeated fellow Californian Learnen Tien 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 20 minutes.
Michelsen who turns 21 in a couple of weeks, became the youngest American in the Canada Masters quarter-final since Andy Roddick in 2003. Roddick is the last American champion in Canada, and the Laguna Hills native will try to change that.
Alex and Learnen played a shaky match, spraying over 70 unforced errors while collecting just above 20 winners. The 26th seed outplayed his opponent behind the first and second serve.
He denied three of four break points and mounted the pressure on the other side. Tien, who played miles below his best, lost 47% in his games and offered his good friend ten break chances.
Alex seized four to control the scoreboard and arrange the quarter-final clash against Karen Khachanov. The more experienced American hit more service winners and had the upper hand at the net.
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Michelsen earned his victory in the shortest range up tofour strokes, with nothing separating them in the more advanced ones. A left-hander made a rough start, netting a routine forehand in the second game of the duel and falling 2-0 behind.
Alex saved a break point in the third game and two more with fine hitting at 3-1 to remain in front. He served for the set at 5-3 and landed a service winner after a deuce, closing the first part of the duel in 40 minutes.
They traded breaks at the beginning of the second set. Learnen sprayed a forehand mistake in the fifth game, suffering another break and finding himself a set and a break down.
Michelsen cemented the lead with a hold at love at 4-2 and earned two more break chances in the next one. A teenager saved them and remained within one break deficit.
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The 26th seed left those opportunities behind and held in the next one with an ace for a 5-3 lead. Alex made another push on the return in game nine, welcoming the rival's mistake on the second match point and moving over the top.
