Reilly Opelka’s return to professional tennis ended on Saturday when he was defeated by 19-year-old compatriot Alex Michelsen in the semifinals of the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. Michelsen, seeded third, cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory, halting Opelka’s comeback efforts in his first tournament since 2022. The teenager dominated the match by winning 10 consecutive games from a 2-2 tie in the first set, wrapping up the match in just under an hour. Michelsen showcased exceptional resilience, saving multiple break points early on and dropping only three points on his serve throughout the rest of the match.
Michelsen, hailing from Southern California, advanced to his second career tour-level final, having reached the same stage in Newport a year prior where he finished runner-up. He now looks ahead to contesting for his maiden tour title against either Marcos Giron or Chris Eubanks in the final.
A dominant performance from Alex Michelsen 🤯
Michelsen is back in the Newport final 🔥 #InfosysHallofFameOpen pic.twitter.com/6cvea9Vkk8
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 20, 2024
Reflecting on his performance, Michelsen remarked, “At the start, I was facing break points on my serve and I thought it might be a close match, but once I got going, I didn’t miss many returns. It was probably one of my best days returning, maybe similar to last year against John [Isner] in the semis, but today was really special.”
Opelka, a former world No. 17, made a wildcard entry into Newport following a hiatus largely due to surgeries, and had earlier claimed notable victories, including over defending champion Adrian Mannarino.
Michelsen’s dominant display included serving a bagel in the second set, the sixth time in Opelka’s career and only the third in a tour-level main-draw match that he had faced such a scoreline. Michelsen, currently ranked 61st, has been flawless in saving break points throughout the tournament, not dropping more than four games in any set.
Running it back ⏪
Alex Michelsen defeats Opelka 6-2, 6-0 to make his return to the Newport final!#InfosysHallofFameOpen pic.twitter.com/y04fXyZgBc
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 20, 2024
With his consecutive finals appearance at the same ATP event, Michelsen becomes the youngest player since Carlos Alcaraz to achieve this feat, recalling Alcaraz’s success at the Umag tournament in 2021-22.
“In previous years, I would always be checking rankings, but this week I avoided it completely,” said Michelsen. “I didn’t want the distraction of knowing where I stood; it allowed me to focus solely on my game and it paid off.”
Looking forward to the final, Michelsen added, “Last year, I came in with no expectations, but this time around, I have more experience and higher goals for myself. I’m ready for the challenge.”
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