The 2023 grass-court season wraps up this week in Newport, Rhode Island, with the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. The legendary grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame welcomed a 28-man singles draw to its grounds which has since dwindled to six. Two quarterfinal matches occurred on Day 4, with the remaining two coming on Day 5. Those quarterfinal clashes are all-American battles, including No. 1 seed Tommy Paul taking on four-time champion John Isner. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Newport. But who will advance?
ATP Newport Day 5 Predictions
Mackenzie McDonald vs Alex Michelsen
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Mackenzie McDonald is having the best grass-court season of his career. The 28-year-old holds an 8-5 record with three ATP quarterfinal appearances. He takes on young American phenom Alex Michelsen in the Newport quarterfinals. Michelsen, 18, is on a seven-match win streak after winning the Chicago Challenger last week. He won his first career ATP match in Round 1 over Maxime Cressy and has looked the part as a professional this summer. While I believe Michelsen has a bright future on the ATP Tour (and should forgo collegiate tennis), he does not yet possess the baseline consistency to hang with a player like McDonald. The former UCLA Bruin and current World No. 59 will find success extending points and forcing his younger compatriot to show rally tolerance.
Prediction: McDonald in 2
Tommy Paul vs John Isner
Head-to-Head: Paul 0-2 Isner
No. 1 seed Tommy Paul squares off against four-time Newport Champion John Isner with a spot in the semifinals on the line. Isner holds the 2-0 head-to-head record over his younger compatriot, though this will be their first meeting in over three years. Paul has played the best tennis of his career over the last 18 months and currently holds a career-high ranking of World No. 14. He has proven to be an elite-level returner and should be able to block a lot of Isner’s serves back. In longer rallies, Paul has a clear advantage. That said, the four-time champ has a path to victory if he brings a high-quality serving performance. I’ll take Paul in a tight match that should feature a few breakers.
Prediction: Paul in 3
More must-reads: