Daniil Medvedev will look to start his 2026 season with a final and he is just one match away from there at the Brisbane International. The Russian, who is the top seed at the ATP 250 event, will face Alex Michelsen in the semifinals, with the winner facing either Aleksandar Kovacevic or Brandon Nakashima in the final.
Medvedev started his campaign with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Márton Fucsovics and booked his place in the quarterfinals after beating Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-2. Here, he faced lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak and found himself a set down. However, the Russian bounced back to register a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 win and reach the semifinals.
Michelsen did not have the smoothest of starts to the Brisbane International as he had to grind out a 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3 win over James Duckworth. The American then ousted compatriot and eighth seed Learner Tien to set up a quarterfinal clash with Sebastian Korda. He registered another straight-set win (6-3, 7-6(7)) to book his place in the semifinals in Brisbane.
Daniil Medvedev vs. Alex Michelsen Match Details
Date: Jan. 10, 2026
Tournament: Brisbane International 2026
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane, Australia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, Sky Sports
Medvedev vs. Michelsen Head-to-Head
The Russian currently has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Michelsen, with both of their prior encounters coming in 2025. Their first encounter came in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters, with Medvedev leading 2-0 before the American was forced to retire. They next locked horns in the quarterfinals of the Halle Open, with the Russian winning 6-4, 6-3.
🐙 A Daniil Medvedev servono tre set per superare il lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak a Brisbane!
Con il punteggio di 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, il russo raggiunge la sua 52ª semifinale a livello professionistico sul cemento.pic.twitter.com/z7rwjKCIS6
— Quindici Zero 🎾 (@quindicizero) January 9, 2026
Medvedev vs. Michelsen Prediction
Medvedev will enter the match as the heavy favorite to win but Michelsen is a dangerous opponent on his day. So, he cannot be written off. Medvedev faced his fair share of issues in 2025 before ending on a strong note. The Russian has had a decent start so far in 2026 and will be eager to continue his good run of form.
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His first-serve numbers have been impressive so far in Brisbane, winning 101 out of 123 points (82.1%) and serving 29 aces. He has also produced 74 winners and 77 unforced errors.
Medvedev’s serve has always been a key weapon for him in Australia and he will look to make the most out of it against Michelsen as well. The Russian’s counterpunching abilities and his all-round game will come in very handy.
Michelsen’s first-serve numbers so far in Brisbane have not been as good as Medvedev’s but they have still been pretty decent (123 out of 160 points (76.9%)), and he has produced 26 aces from his three matches. The 21-year loves to play aggressively and he will look to make the most out of his service games while trying to catch Medvedev off-guard.
However, if the Russian manages to maintain his momentum, he should be able to get the win and book his place in the semifinals of the Brisbane International.
