Rising American stars Learner Tien, Alex Michelsen, and Nishesh Basavareddy will all be in action at the Houston ATP 250 on Thursday. Tien and Basavareddy are going head-to-head, while Michelsen faces Alexei Popyrin.
(3) Learner Tien vs. (WC) Nishesh Basavareddy
Tien and Basavareddy will already be going head-to-head for fifth time in the early stages of their professional careers when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship on Thursday. All four of their previous meetings have gone Tien’s way — in a pair of Challengers in 2024 and at the ATP level twice in 2025.
Their encounters have come on outdoor hard courts, indoor hard courts, and grass, so Tien will be looking to complete the surface sweep on clay. The surface should not make any difference, as both guys are basically complete novices on the red stuff. Basavareddy did well to defeat fellow former college standout Liam Draxl 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 on Tuesday, but Tien is in far better form right now and has much more experience moving into the business end of main-tour tournaments.
Pick: Tien in 2
(7) Alex Michelsen vs. Alexei Popyrin
Michelsen is coming off a stellar showing throughout the Sunshine Double, as he reached the fourth round in both Indian Wells and Miami. The 21-year-old has already won 13 matches this season, including a 6-4, 6-2 rout of Coleman Wong on Tuesday. Although Michelsen is not very experienced on clay, he did capture a Challenger title on the slow stuff last spring in Estoril.
Up next for the American on Thursday is a first-ever showdown against Popyrin, who is in the midst of a massive slump. The 45th-ranked Aussie is 3-8 this season and 3-13 in his last 16 matches dating back to the 2025 U.S. Open. Popyrin managed to scrape past Patrick Kypson 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the Houston opening round, but knocking out Michelsen is an entirely different proposition. Count on the world No. 35 continuing to rack up wins.
Pick: Michelsen in 2