Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen will meet for the second time in a month when they battle again on Saturday, this time in Indian Wells. Meanwhile, Holger Rune takes on Canadian veteran Milos Raonic in the second round.
(17) Tommy Paul vs. Alex Michelsen
Teenager Alex Michelsen was oh so close to knocking Tommy Paul out in the Delray Beach second round. Paul just edged out his countryman in a third-set tiebreaker, but it was a marathon three-hour effort. Michelsen’s star is on the rise. The-19 year-old is ranked 80th in the world, but 2024 is the first year he is playing on the main tour full time. Last season he played mostly season on the Challenger circuit.
Despite a disappointing and lackluster performance at the Australian Open, where he lost in the third round, Paul has had a good start to this year. The world No. 17 snagged the title in Dallas and made the final in Delray (l. Taylor Fritz). Paul is at his best on hard courts, and his and Michelsen’s form coming into Saturday’s match suggests that this could be one of the more entertaining matches on the docket.
Look for the Michelsen serve and for Paul to blast away at the baseline. Michelsen will likely earn chances in this match, but he may not be mentally ready to take out a top player like Paul.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 3
Ricky pick: Paul in 3
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(7) Holger Rune vs. (PR) Milos Raonic
Holger Rune will be looking to build on some of the momentum he acquired in Acapulco. The polarizing Danish star had a shocking loss in Melbourne with his second-round ouster at the hands of Arthur Cazaux. He has had a couple semifinals since, including Montpellier (l. Borna Coric).
Milos Raonic was slated to play Rafael Nadal in the first round, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion was forced to withdraw as he continues to recover from surgery that kept him sidelined for the entirety of the 2023 season. Instead, the Canadian veteran drew lucky loser Sumit Nagal. Raonic is ranked 224th in the world and has been plagued by injuries since 2021–and really throughout his career.
There is little to suggest that Raonic has any of the tools necessary to take out Rune. He still has a dangerous serve and might even force a tiebreaker if he serves well, but Rune is simply too polished.
Cheryl pick: Rune in 2
Ricky pick: Rune in 2
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