Nakashima overcomes Coleman Wong, reach last eight in Hangzhou

Brandon Nakashima defeated Coleman Wong 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1, saving two set chances to go to the quarterfinals at the Hangzhou Open, on Friday.

Nakashima, ranked fourth in the PIF ATP Rankings and currently ranked 39 in the world, needed to win the second set 6-5, but he retained his composure to save two match points. With 39 victories in two hours and forty minutes, the American defeated the 20-year-old.

Having finished fourth in the US Open quarterfinals in August, the former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion has been on a roll lately, going 11-4 overall. He tied the record for his best run at a Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows with victories over Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune.

Nakashima reached his 14th quarterfinal on the ATP Tour, where he will take on Rinky Hijikata, an Australian who got to the next round after Fabian Marozsan withdrew through illness.

In an all-Kazakhstani match, Mikhail Kukushkin turned back the years, winning 6-4, 7-6(3).

Reaching his first quarterfinal on the ATP Tour in four years, the 36-year-old converted three of his five break point opportunities (Nur-Sultan 2020).

Earlier this year, Kukushkin won titles in Manama and Tenerife on the ATP Challenger Tour, ending a six-year trophy drought. Next up for the former No. 39 in the PIF ATP Rankings is Buyunchaokete.

Buyunchaokete advanced to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal by defeating second-seeded Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-3. Additionally, he made history by being the sixth Chinese player to advance to an Open Era tour quarterfinal.

“I feel really comfortable. All my friends and my people who (are) close to me, were in here (to) support me, also my coach, my team. So, of course, I feel really comfortable. I love (it) here. I know the surface, everything here. So, I love this feeling,” he said after the match.

The No. 124 in the PIF ATP Rankings hit 13 aces and saved three break points in the pair’s first meeting. The home favorite secured victory in two hours, 27 minutes.