Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alex Michelsen in three sets to open Tokyo title defence

Three-set opening round in Tokyo

Carlos Alcaraz opened the defence of his Tokyo title at the ATP 500 Kinoshita Group Japan Open with a three-set victory over Alex Michelsen. The Spanish world number 3 defeated the 34th-ranked American 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-1 on the hard courts of the Ariake Colosseum. The contest lasted more than two and a half hours in what was the first professional encounter between the two players. Alcaraz entered the event as the top seed in the draw, having played only the US Open in August and the Laver Cup exhibition over the preceding weekend following a wrist injury sustained in mid-April. Michelsen entered the match following a quarter-final run at the US Open in New York. The Tokyo hard-court tournament carries a total prize purse of $2,342,375.

First set tiebreak and second set turnaround

The opening set lasted nearly an hour and fifteen minutes, featuring multiple breaks of serve. Michelsen broke in the opening game after saving a 15-40 deficit, before Alcaraz responded with a backhand winner to break back immediately. Michelsen broke again to take a 2-1 lead and held through a break point to reach 4-2. Serving at 4-5 down, Alcaraz faced three set points on his serve before erasing them with a forehand winner, an unreturned serve, and an unforced error from the American. Alcaraz then earned a service break to lead 6-5, but Michelsen countered at the net to force a tiebreak. Alcaraz swept the first four points of the tiebreak, finishing with a 7-1 score to claim the opening set.

Decisive third set and next round match

Michelsen opened the second set with another break and held at love to establish a 2-0 advantage. Alcaraz saved a break point to hold for 2-1 and gained momentum, breaking Michelsen twice in succession, with the second break coming on a double fault to lead 4-2. Michelsen then produced a run of four consecutive games, breaking the Spaniard twice to take the second set 6-4. Alcaraz altered the tempo in the deciding third set, raising his first-serve percentage and cutting unforced errors from the baseline. He won the opening five games of the final set in twenty minutes, giving up only one game before closing the match 6-1. Across the three sets, Alcaraz conceded five service breaks.

Upsets and retirement across the Tokyo draw

Alcaraz advanced to the round of 16, where he will play Italian world number 37 Matteo Arnaldi, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in June. The day in Tokyo also included the professional retirement of Japanese player Kei Nishikori. Several other seeded players were eliminated in their opening matches, including world number 12 and defending Tokyo finalist Taylor Fritz. Fritz lost in three sets to Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar, the world number 64, by 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-3. Denmark's Holger Rune was defeated in his return from an extended injury layoff, while sixth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway also exited. Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas moved into the second round by recovering from a set down to defeat Argentina's Tomás Etcheverry 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.