Cincinnati Open ATP Day Six Round-Up | Felix Auger-Aliassime into Tiafoe showdown as Brandon Nakashima shines again

The latest day of action is complete at the Cincinnati Open with Felix Auger-Aliassime setting up a blockbuster tie with Frances Tiafoe, while Brandon Nakashima shone again taking down Daniil Medvedev. Others through included Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti as we reach the latter stages in Ohio.

Nakashima saved three match points to continue his brilliant North American hard-court swing on Tuesday where he overcame Daniil Medvedev 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 to reach the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open.

Trailing 40-0 at 4-5 while serving in the second set, Nakashima appeared on the brink of seeing his run come to an end. The in-form American responded in kind with superb ballstriking. He turned the momentum against Medvedev before completing a two-hour, 51 minute marathon victory.

Nakashima had reached Ohio after reaching the final in Montreal last week as well as Washington semi-finals earlier this month. The 25-year-old is competing at a World No.22 in the ATP Rankings.

“Down match points, I was just trying to tell myself to keep fighting for every point,” Nakashima said in his on-court interview. “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. I’m super happy with the level in the third.”

“Throughout these matches, there’s always ups and downs, times where I’m not feeling as good, but I just try to stick through every moment and keep fighting,” Nakashima added.

He saved his first match point with an exquisite forehand approach and volley finish before seeing off Medvedev in an 18-ball exchange to deny the second. The American took down the third with a serve and volley play. He seals a fifth career win against a top 10 opponent.

Nakashima will next face Nuno Borges who ended a five match losing streak against Andrey Rublev with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 13th seed. Borges ahd won just one set in his previous five meetings with Rublev, but produced a superb display to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 for the sixth time.

Taylor Fritz is also through after extending his winning streak in America to seven matches with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against rising Spaniard, Daniel Merida. He won the title in Washington earlier this month for the fourth time in the past five years and will now face Christopher O'Connell.

Felix Auger-Aliassime also is through after stepping past Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open. After defeating Tsitsipas in two closely fought sets in the opener, he faced off against Cerundolo.

He had to work for the opening set, but from there he was exceptional. "It was a tricky start," Auger-Aliassime said following his win. "He is a lefty and you don't play them often. He plays at a different pace... You have to find the right adjustments and once I did that, I felt more comfortable."

The second seed was superb in ball striking and produced incredible forehands to keep Cerundolo under pressure. He earned a break at 6-5 in the first set to capitalise on an error-prone display from the Argentine. He then eased through the second set motoring to victory in just under an hour and a half.

He next faces off against Frances Tiafoe who took down Learner Tien in the final match of the night claiming it in three sets against his fellow high flying American. It was a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and he was also joined by Lorenzo Musetti in the next round who also won against Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3. Jaime Faria also continued his run seeing off Adam Walton in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.