Michelson shocks Nakashima in US Open clash of rising Americans

Brandon Nakashima, a rising American tennis player, suffered a loss to fellow American Alex Michelsen in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Michelsen emerged victorious over the 25-year-old Nakashima with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Nakashima, who had reached one final and two semi-finals in recent warm-up tournaments, struggled to maintain his usual forceful game, allowing Michelsen to dominate with his powerful serve and forehand.

Despite both players hailing from Southern California, they had never faced each other before. Michelsen attributed his win to Nakashima's familiarity with his game, saying, "I always say it benefits the worse player because I know his game, I got lucky." Nakashima acknowledged the disappointment, stating, "It's definitely been a positive summer, but I was pretty disappointed from today."

He played a solid match but admitted it was not close to his usual level. Nakashima's strong summer performance had gained attention, placing him in a bracket alongside Novak Djokovic, which is now wide open following Djokovic's early exit. Nakashima expressed the challenges of the added pressure, media scrutiny, and the need to focus on his performance, emphasizing the importance of blocking out distractions and playing well.