Nakashima rallies past Fritz to reach back-to-back Masters semis

CINCINNATI, Aug 21 : Brandon Nakashima produced another statement win on Friday, rallying from a break down in the deciding set to beat fellow American and sixth seed Taylor Fritz 7-6(9) 4-6 6-3 and reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.The 25-year-old has now reached the last four at back-to-back Masters 1000 events after his run in Montreal last week, capping another impressive turnaround on the North American hard courts ahead of the U.S. Open, which starts later this month.Nakashima, who came into the match with a 1-4 record against Fritz, edged a tight first set, with both players dominant on serve as the match went to a thrilling tiebreak.After trading leads and mini-breaks, Nakashima finally converted his fifth set point when Fritz sent a ball just long. Fritz responded strongly, us