Auger-Aliassime, Nakashima Advance In Cincinnati

Felix Auger-Aliassime continued his run at the Cincinnati Masters with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in 90 minutes.

The second-seeded Canadian admitted he needed time to settle after facing a left-handed opponent.

“It was a tricky start, finding my rhythm,” the Canadian said. “Lefties are tricky, you don’t play them so often. You can prepare all you want but until you step onto the court you can’t find your right adjustments. Then you feel comfortable.”

Fifth seed Taylor Fritz also progressed after defeating Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-4 in 83 minutes. Fritz hit eight aces, while Merida struggled with 25 unforced errors. The American will face Australian Chris O’Connell in the fourth round, with Fritz holding a 3-0 record against him.

One of the biggest results came from Brandon Nakashima, who recovered from a difficult position to defeat fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Nakashima led 5-2 in the opening set before losing the tie-break. He then saved three match points in the 10th game of the second set before forcing a deciding set, where he dominated Medvedev.

Italy’s 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti beat American Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes.

Meanwhile, Portugal’s Nuno Borges produced another major result by defeating 2021 runner-up Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4. The 47th-ranked Borges ended a five-match losing streak against Rublev, who will fall outside the world’s top 20 for the first time since January 2020.

“I played amazing,” Borges said. “It means a lot to be in the fourth round. It’s a big moment for me.”

Which of these Cincinnati Masters results surprised you most?