TENNIS

Taylor Fritz vs. Alex Michelsen: Preview, How to Watch, Odds

bet365 News Team Updated: Jul 31 2026 15:30

An all-American clash is set for the quarter-finals of the ATP Washington tournament, as Taylor Fritz takes on compatriot Alex Michelsen for a coveted spot in the semifinals.

Fritz extends DC Open journey

Top-seeded Fritz has advanced to this stage with relative ease, dispatching both Zizou Bergs of Belgium and Poland's Kamil Majchrzak with identical 6-3, 6-4 scorelines.

The Rancho Santa Fe native is coming off an impressive grass-court season, where he reached the finals in Stuttgart and Halle and made a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon, falling only to Alexander Zverev.

His serving statistics over the past year have been formidable, averaging 14.2 aces per match, landing 65.7% of his first serves, and winning 79.5% of those points.

Michelsen overcomes early challenges to advance

While Alex Michelsen's recent tour-level results haven't been as high-profile, he has found success on the Challenger circuit. He was a semi-finalist in Newport (grass) and won the title in Bloomfield Hills (hard court), defeating Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley in the final.

Here in Washington D.C., he was tested by Mackenzie McDonald and later by France's Adrian Mannarino, whom he defeated in a second-set tiebreak to secure his quarter-final berth.

Despite the difference in ranking and experience, Michelsen holds a surprising advantage in their head-to-head record. He has won both of their previous encounters.

Head-to-Head History

Michelsen currently leads the series 2-0. Their most recent meeting took place at the 2026 Indian Wells tournament, where Michelsen secured a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory. Prior to that, Michelsen defeated Fritz 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 at the 2024 Geneva Open.