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Match Details
Fixture: (2) Alex Michelsen vs (5) Learner Tien
Date: December 21, 2024
Tournament: 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Category: ATP Finals
Surface: Hardcourt (Indoor)
Prize Money: $2,050,000
Alex Michelsen vs Learner Tien preview
Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien will lock horns in an all-American semifinal encounter at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals.
Michelsen, the second seed at this year’s tournament, has been unbeaten in his three matches. He scored thrilling victories over Luca Van Assche and Nishesh Basavareddy before taking on Shang Juncheng, who retired mid-match.
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The results, however, are hardly surprising given the sort of the season that Michelsen has had. Having scored his first Grand Slam wins (reaching the Australian Open third-round) and making two Tour-level finals, he broke into the top-50 and put together a 40-37 win-loss for the year.
Tien, meanwhile, is also coming off a successful 2024 season, his first full year on the Tour. Up until very recently, he was still making junior Grand Slam finals (both the Australian and US Opens in 2023).
Three Challenger titles have seen him inch closer to the top-125 and he has also exceeded expectations at the Next Gen ATP Finals. He has taken down two higher-ranked opponents in the form of Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik and will look to keep the momentum going.
Alex Michelsen vs Learner Tien head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between Tien and Michelsen, so their current head-to-head record stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Alex Michelsen vs Learner Tien odds
(Odds will be updated when available)
Alex Michelsen vs Learner Tien prediction
Both Michelsen and Tien have been in good form at the tournament, having braved some explosive hitting in the process.
Tien was especially impressive in holding off Jakub Mensik’s monstrous serve and Arthur Fils’ power. He will again look to rely on his consistent baseline game to wear his opponent down.
Michelsen, however, is unlikely to feed him as much pace as the other two. He also relies on his well-rounded game and point construction to win matches.
With two technically sound players on court, it will be in an intriguing battle of wits. Michelsen has just had a bit more experience of having played on the big stage and that could tilt things in his favor.
Prediction: Michelsen to win in five sets
