US Next Gen player Alex Michelsen came back from one set down to beat 32ndseed Jiri Lehechka 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in a rain-disrupted match in the third round at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Lehecka went up a double break in the third game to take a 5-2 lead. Michelsen pulled one break back in the eighth game. Lehecka served it out on his first set point.
Michelsen saved three break points in the first game of the second set. Lehecka fended off three break points in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Michelsen broke serve in the eighth game to win the second set 6-3.
Michelsen broke serve in the fifth game to win the third set 6-4. The US 19-year-old player earned the break in the ninth game and served out the win on his second match point.
“It feels great. It feels like I am on a different planet right now. I was not really expecting this coming this coming in, but I just told myself to compete for every point and it worked out pretty good today. I can’t really comprehend all of it, I never thought two or three years ago that I was going to be in this position. Now that I am here it is really crazy and I am trying to do my best all the best”, said Michelsen.
Michelsen is one of the three teenagers to reach the third round at the Australian Open after Luca Van Assche and Shang Juncheng. The last time three teenagers reached the third round was in 2019, when Denis Shapovalov, Alex De Minaur and Alexei Popyrin.
Michelsen set up a third round match against Alexander Zverev, who beat Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein in five sets.
Michelsen reached his first tour-level final in Newport and is currently rnaked world number 73 in the ATP Tour.
