ATP: THE ACTION GOES ON AT THE JAPAN OPEN!

The Japan Open in Tokyo continues with two exciting matchups. Tommy Paul, the 5th seed, faces promising Czech player Tomas Machac, while Alex Michelsen, who has already made headlines, will take on Christopher O’Connell from Australia.

TOMMY PAUL VS TOMAS MACHAC

Tomas Machac and Tommy Paul will face off for the first time on the ATP tour. Machac, part of the emerging Czech tennis generation alongside Lehecka and Mensik, is ranked 34th in the world. The 23-year-old defeated Popyrin in the first round, winning 7-5 in the deciding set. Machac reached the round of 16 at the US Open this year, losing to Draper. Despite early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati, he had a strong showing in Geneva, defeating Djokovic in the semifinals before losing to Ruud in the final.

Tommy Paul, ranked 13th in the world, has been in stellar form in 2024. He won the ATP 500 event in Queens and the ATP 250 in Dallas. Paul’s 2024 season has been defined by consistency, reaching the semifinals in Indian Wells and Rome and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He enters this match after defeating Arnaldi in the first round in Tokyo. Paul has played 53 matches this season, winning 38, and will be looking to continue his dominant run.

Alex Michelsen, one of the most exciting young talents, is already making waves on the tour. At just 20, the Californian is ranked 49th in the world and has reached two finals this season (Newport & Winston Salem). Michelsen qualified for the Japan Open by defeating Uchiyama and Coric and went on to beat Tsitsipas in the first round with an impressive comeback. His future looks bright, and he has shown remarkable consistency for a player his age.

His opponent, Christopher O’Connell, is also a qualifier at the Japan Open. Ranked 79th in the world, the 30-year-old Australian has won 14 out of 31 matches on the tour this season. O'Connell took out Etcheverry in the first round in straight sets after defeating Daniel and Virtanen in the qualifiers. A grinder on the tour, his best result this year was a quarterfinal appearance in Adelaide.