Daniil Medvedev masters Alex Michelsen, earns Brisbane final shot again | ATP tour | Tennis

Brisbane

Medvedev controls Michelsen and earns another final shot in Brisbane

Former world number 1 starts the championship match with Nakashima
January 10, 2026

Daniil Medvedev ensured he will have another shot at glory at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ on Sunday.

The top seed and 2019 runner-up recorded a sloppy 6-4, 6-2 semi-final win over American Alex Michelsen on Saturday to reach his 41st tour-level final. Although Medvedev committed 27 unforced errors, he clinically saved all four break points he faced in the second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to break his tie with Alexander Zverev for the second-most finals appearances among active players, trailing only Novak Djokovic (144).

Job done 💼

Number 1 seed @DaniilMedwed beats Michelsen 6-4, 6-2 to reach his 41st tour-level final.@BrisbaneTennis | #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/4fSEC3nWld

— ATP tour (@atptour) January 10, 2026

“It wasn’t easy at all. The score doesn’t fully reflect the match,” said Medvedev, the former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “But I’m happy that I was better than Alex in the most important moments. That’s what you have to do to win the match.”

Medvedev’s encouraging end to the 2025 season, highlighted by back-to-back semi-finals in Beijing and Shanghai before breaking his 15-month title drought in Almaty, has laid the foundation for a positive start to 2026. He will take a 2-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into Sunday’s final against another American Brandon Nakashima.

Earlier, Nakashima eased past close friend Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach his fourth ATP Tour final, and first since winning his first title at home in San Diego in 2022. The American has not dropped a set in his four matches in Brisbane this week.

“Aleks and I are actually very good friends. We have been practicing a lot in the past month, so it is great to see him playing well in these tournaments,” Nakashima said of his compatriot. “For me, I’m really happy with the level I played today and I’m looking forward to continuing to play here in Brisbane.”