Cincinnati Open: Brandon Nakashima Saves Three Match Points to Stun Daniil Medvedev

American Brandon Nakashima produced one of the biggest wins of his breakthrough summer by defeating fourth seed and former champion Daniil Medvedev in a dramatic third-round clash at the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday.

Nakashima rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome the 23-time ATP titlist 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-1, saving three match points in the second set before dominating the decider. The victory sent him into the Cincinnati Open fourth round for the first time and marked his first win over Medvedev in four meetings.

The American appeared to be heading out when he trailed 0/40 while serving at 4-5 in the second set. However, Nakashima held his nerve, producing aggressive tennis to save all three match points and force a tiebreak. He then carried that momentum into the deciding set, breaking Medvedev repeatedly as the Russian struggled to regain his earlier rhythm.

Nakashima saved his first match point with a forehand approach and volley, then survived the second after an 18-shot rally. He erased the third with another well-executed serve-and-volley sequence before taking control of the match.

The win further underlines the 25-year-old's remarkable form on the North American hard courts. Nakashima reached the Washington semi-finals earlier this month before making his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Montreal last week, where he lost to fellow American Ben Shelton. That run in Montreal helped lift him to a career-high No. 22 in the ATP Rankings. His victory over Medvedev has taken his hard-court record this season to 10-2.

"Down match points, I was just trying to tell myself to keep fighting for every point," Nakashima said after the match. He added that he was delighted with his level in the third set after managing the difficult moments earlier in the contest.

Nakashima will next face Nuno Borges for a place in the quarter-finals. The Portuguese player ended a five-match losing streak against 13th seed Andrey Rublev, defeating him 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last 16. Borges became the first Portuguese man to reach the Cincinnati Open fourth round.

Elsewhere, sixth seed Taylor Fritz advanced to the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over rising Spaniard Daniel Merida. The American, who won the ATP 500 title in Washington, will meet Australian qualifier Christopher O'Connell next.

The 2026 Cincinnati Open is being played from August 13 to 23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio, with the tournament serving as one of the final major hard-court events ahead of the US Open.