19-Year-Old Michelsen Stuns Opelka in Hall of Fame Open Semifinals

Reilly Opelka's comeback to competitive tennis was cut short in the semifinals of the Infosys Hall of Fame Open, as he fell to 19-year-old American Alex Michelsen in straight sets.

Michelsen, the No. 3 seed, dominated the match from the outset, winning 10 consecutive games to secure a 6-2, 6-0 victory in just 59 minutes. The teenager saved three break points in the opening game and only lost three points on serve for the remainder of the match.

Opelka, a former world No. 17, had returned to action as a wild card after a two-year hiatus due to hip and wrist surgeries. He had recorded three three-set wins, including one over defending champion Adrian Mannarino, to become the lowest-ranked semifinalist in the ATP Tour era since 1990.

However, Michelsen proved too strong for the veteran American. The 6-0 second set was just the sixth bagel set Opelka had ever been served in his career and only the third in a tour-level main-draw match.

Michelsen, currently ranked No. 61, is the youngest player to make back-to-back finals at the same ATP event since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021-22. He will face either No. 2 seed Marcos Giron or No. 4 seed Chris Eubanks in Sunday's final.

"At the beginning, he was having break points on my serve and I was like, 'This is going to be one of those matches that's going to come down to the wire,'" Michelsen said. "But then I honestly didn't miss a return when I touched the ball. It was probably the best returning day of my life."

Opelka, despite the disappointing result, expressed optimism about his future. "I'm still working my way back," he said. "I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm getting there."

Tags: #Tennis, #InfosysHallofFameOpen, #ReillyOpelka, #AlexMichelsen, #AmericanTennis