Nakashima saves 3 MPs, stuns Medvedev in Cincinnati
Brandon Nakashima saved three match points and overturned a set-and-a-break deficit to stun Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati, reaching the last 16 there for the first time in his career.
Brandon Nakashima, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
American Brandon Nakashima, the No 27 seed, saved three consecutive match points to beat Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 4 seed, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1, reaching the Cincinnati Open last 16 for the first time in his career on Tuesday evening.
Nakashima will next face Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who beat Andrey Rublev in the previous round, for a place in the quarterfinals.
The win snapped an 0-3 head-to-head deficit against Medvedev, and is Nakashima’s third top-10 win of the season, following two victories over Alex de Minaur earlier this year. It is his seventh Masters 1000 last-16 of his career, and extends a hot run of form that has now brought him 10 wins in his last 12 matches after his semi-final in Washington and his final in Montreal.
Medvedev looked the far better player for long stretches, leading by a set and 5-4 with triple match point on Nakashima’s serve in the second-set tiebreak. Nakashima saved all three, went on to win that breaker 7-4, and completely turned the match around, sweeping the decider 6-1 as Medvedev’s level fell away.
The Russian converted just one of 11 break points across the match and smashed his racket into the court’s electronic screen twice as his frustration mounted.
Cincinnati Masters 1000 3rd Round
- A. Zverev (1) vs T. Atmane: 7-6, 7-6
- T. Paul (18) vs A/ Vallejo: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- R. Jodar (12) vs A. Tabilo (22): 6-2, 6-1
- F. Cobolli (7) vs A. Blockx (28): 7-5, 4-6, 7-5
- T. Tirante vs M. Arnaldi (31): 7-6, 7-6
- Mensik (14) vs R. Hijikata: 6-3, 6-4
- A. Fils (21) vs J. Lehecka (9): 6-1, 6-7, 6-3
- A. de Minaur (5) vs A. Fery (32): 7-5, 7-6
- T. Fritz (6) vs D. Merida: 6-1, 6-7, 6-3
- C. O’Connell d. Fonseca (23): WO
- N. Borges d. A. Rublev (13): 6-3, 6-4
- B. Nakashima (27) d. D. Medvedev (4): 6-7, 7-6, 6-1
- J. Faria vs A. Walton
- L. Musetti (10) d. M. Zheng: 6-1, 6-3
- L. Tien (16) vs F. Tiafoe (17)
- J. Cerundolo vs F. Auger-Aliassime (2)
