Daniil Medvedev’s Cincinnati Open campaign ended in dramatic fashion as the Russian suffered a frustrating three-set defeat to Brandon Nakashima in the third round. The fourth seed appeared to have control of the contest after winning the opening-set tiebreak, but Nakashima produced a remarkable comeback to prevail 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-1.
Medvedev had a major opportunity to close out the match in the second set. Nakashima was serving at 4-5 when Medvedev earned three match points, but the American managed to save all three and force another tiebreak. Nakashima then won the tiebreak to level the contest and completely changed the momentum heading into the deciding set.
The dramatic turnaround appeared to frustrate Medvedev, who struggled to contain his emotions as the match slipped away. At one point, the former US Open champion lashed his racket into the LED advertising boards after missing a chance against Nakashima. He was also seen kicking the court-side screen after smashing a ball following a missed serve.
Medvedev’s frustration escalated shortly before Nakashima completed the victory. The Russian was seen using his feet to knock over microphones positioned at the end of the court, adding another bizarre moment to an increasingly heated contest. Nakashima, meanwhile, remained composed and raced through the deciding set 6-1 to secure a memorable victory.
The victory marked Nakashima’s first win over Medvedev in four meetings and continued an impressive run for the American. The world No. 22 had reached the semifinals in Washington and his first Masters 1000 final in Montreal before arriving in Cincinnati. He will next face Nuno Borges in the fourth round.
