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Brandon Nakashima erased three match points and rallied to defeat fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Tuesday at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio, continuing a surging hard-court run that has established the American as one of the tour’s toughest competitors this summer.
Nakashima Rallies Past Medvedev in Cincinnati
According to Field Level Media, Nakashima trailed 4-5 and love-40 in the second set before mounting a dramatic comeback. He ripped off four straight service points to hold, secured the subsequent tiebreaker, and cruised through the deciding set to finish the match in two hours and 51 minutes. The win follows a standout run to the final at the Montreal Masters, pushing the 25-year-old San Diego native further up the rankings under the guidance of coach Wayne Ferreira.
“Down match points, I was just trying to tell myself to keep fighting for every point,” Nakashima said, according to Field Level Media. “If he’s able to close it out there, then too good. I just kept fighting and managed to get it to a third set.”
Nakashima capitalized on 51 unforced errors from Medvedev while winning 21 of 27 trips to the net. Over the past three weeks, the world No. 27 has notched wins against top-20 opponents including Jakub Mensik, Alex de Minaur, Rafael Jodar, and now Medvedev.
Fourth-Round Matchups and American Contenders
Nakashima advances to face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the fourth round. Borges earned his spot by defeating 13th-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4 in a baseline-oriented contest that saw the Portuguese player commit fewer mistakes than his Russian opponent.
In other action at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime swept Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in 87 minutes. Auger-Aliassime advances to meet No. 17 Frances Tiafoe, who overcame fellow American and No. 16 seed Learner Tien 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz also advanced by eliminating Spanish qualifier Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-4. Fritz will next square off against Australian qualifier Christopher O’Connell, who advanced after No. 23 Joao Fonseca of Brazil withdrew due to injury. Meanwhile, Italian 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated qualifier Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3 to set up a clash against Portugal’s Jaime Faria.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who did Brandon Nakashima defeat in Cincinnati? Nakashima defeated fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the second round.
- What saved Nakashima during the match? Nakashima wiped away three match points while down 4-5 in the second set, utilizing his big serve and aggressive net play to turn the tide.
- Who is Nakashima’s next opponent? Nakashima will face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open.
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