Nakashima rallies past Fritz to reach back-to-back Masters semis

Brandon Nakashima continued his impressive North American hard court run by defeating fellow American Taylor Fritz 7-6(9) 4-6 6-3 in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals. The victory propelled the 25-year-old into his second consecutive Masters 1000 semi-final, following his strong performance in Montreal last week.

The match was a hard-fought battle, with both players dominating on serve. Nakashima ultimately edged a tight first set in a thrilling tiebreak, converting his fifth set point. Fritz responded by breaking Nakashima early in the second set and forcing a decider with an ace.

In the final set, Fritz capitalized on Nakashima's errors to take a 3-2 lead. However, Nakashima quickly regained momentum, breaking back and then winning the final three games. Fritz's unforced errors mounted as Nakashima's confidence grew, allowing the 27th seed to serve out the match.

This win, Nakashima's fourth top-10 victory of the season, extends the hottest streak of his career. He is set to face either Italy's 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti or another American, Frances Tiafoe, in the semi-finals.