Michelsen matches Sampras, Agassi with Open charge
Giant-killing Alex Michelsen has pulled off a Pete Sampras-like feat to power into the Australian Open fourth round in Melbourne.
The 20-year-old Michelsen followed up his shock first-round removal of world No.11 and 2023 Open runner-up Stefanos Tsistipas with a straight-sets defeat of 19th seed Karen Khachanov on Saturday.
In claiming the two big scalps, Michelsen is the youngest American since Sampras and four-time AO champion Andre Agassi at the 1990 US Open to record multiple top-20 wins at a grand slam.
“I played unbelievable in that match. I don’t even really know what’s going on,” Michelsen said after seeing off Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
“I was hitting my forehand unbelievable. I’ve never hit my forehand that well, so super happy to keep it going in the next round and, yeah, not a lot of words right now.”
Khachanov was a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park two years and shaped as a road block between home hope Alex de Minaur and a place in the quarter-finals for the first time.
Instead Michelsen will be standing in de Minaur’s way if the Australian eighth seed takes care of Francisco Cerundolo later on Saturday.
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