Tommy Paul and Alex Michelsen will meet for the second time in a month in Indian Wells on Saturday, while Holger Rune takes on the Canadian veteran Milos Raonic.
(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 his countryman in the third set tiebreaker, but it was a marathon 3-hour effort. Michelsen’s star is on the rise. The 19 year-old is ranked 80 in the world, but 2024 is the first year he’s playing on the main tour full time. Last year, he still played most of the season on the Challenger tour.
Despite a disappointing and lackluster performance at the Australian Open where he lost in the third round, Tommy 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 Saturday’s docket.
Look for the Michelsen serve and for Paul to blast away at the baseline. Michelsen will earn chances in Saturday’s match, but he may not be mentally ready to take out a top player like Tommy Paul.
Cheryl pick – Paul in 3
WWW: Paul vs. Michelsen?
(7) Holger Rune vs. (PR) Milos Raonic
Holger Rune will be looking to build on some of the momentum he built in Acapulco. The polarizing Danish star had a shocking loss in Melbourne with his second round ouster at the hands of Arthur Cazaux. He’s had a couple semifinals since, including Montpellier (l. Borna Coric), but this will be his first big test against his fellow top 10.
Milos Raonic was slated to play Rafael Nadal in the first round, but the 22-time 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 got Sumit Nagal. Raonic is ranked 224 in the world and has been plagued by injuries since 2021.
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 tiebreak if he serves well, but Rune is simply too polished.
Cheryl pick – Rune in 2
WWW: Rune vs. Raonic?
The post Indian Wells R2 previews and predictions: Paul vs. Michelsen, Rune vs. Raonic appeared first on The Grandstand.
