Brandon Nakashima came back from one set down to beat Coleman Wong 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 in 2 hours and 40 minutes reaching the quarter final at the Hangzhou Open.
Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Wong earned a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Nakashima pulled back on serve to draw level to 4-4. The US player won four consecutive points to take a 6-4 lead. Wong won five of the next six points to clinch the tie-break 9-7.
Nakashima saved two match points as he served at 6-5 down in the second set. He earned two mini-breaks to race out to a 5-1 lead in the tie-break. Wong reeled three consecutive points to claw his way back to 4-5. Nakashima won the final two points to seal the tie-break 7-4.
Nakashima broke twice in the fourth and sixth games to win the third set 6-1.
The US player has won 11 of the next 15 matches since August. He reached a fourth round at the US Open, where he beat Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune.
Nakashima set up a quarter final match against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, who received a walkover from Fabian Maroszan, who withdraw from the match due to illness.
In the previous round Wong benefited from the retirement of Chinese wildcard Wu Yibing, who lost the first ste 6-3 before withdrawing with a back injury.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin beat his compatriot Alexander Schevchenko 6-4 7-6 (7-3). Kukushkin converted three of his five break points to reach his first quarter final since Nur Sultan in 2020. Kukushkin won two Challenger titles in Manema and Tenerife breaking a six-year druught.
Kukushkin set up a quarter final against Yunchaokete, who upset Karen Khachanov 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 6-3 to reah his first quarter final on the ATP Tour. Yuchaokete hit 13 aces and saved three break break points.
