Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic came back from one set down to beat Brandon Nakashima 3-6 7-5 6-3 after 2 hours in a battle between previous Next Gen ATP champions in front of former world number 1 Novak Djokovic, who watched from the stands.
Nakashima earned an early break in the second game and consolidated it with a hold at 30 to open up a 3-0 lead. Nakashima held serve easily and served out at love in the ninth game.
Medjedovic recovered from a slow start by winning 86% of his first serve points and earned a crucial break in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5 forcing the match to the decider. Nakashima saved a set point in the 10th game.
Nakashima earned two break points in the third game of the decisive set. Medjedovic held his nerve and earned the crucial break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Nakashima saved a match point in the eighth game to hold serve at deuce for 5-3 before Medjedovic sealed the win on his second match point to set up a second round match against either qualifier Branko Djuric or Aleksander Kovacevic.
“It was a tough match, he was a better player in the first set, and in the second set I was trying to keek my nerves and find my game”, said Medjedovic.
Fabian Maroszan came back from one set down to beat China’s Shan Junchang 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.
Shan Juncheng broke twice in the fifth and seventh games to win the first set 6-2 in just 23 minutes. Maroszan saved a break point in each of the ninth and eleventh games of the the second set, which went on serve en route to tie-break. Shang went up a mini-break twice, but Maroszan pulled back on serve both times before winning the final two points to clinch the tie-break 7-5. Maroszan broke serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Shang Juncheng broke back in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Maroszan broke serve at 15 in the 11th game before sealing the win on his first match point at deuce in the 12thgame.
