Nakashima On Cusp Of Wimbledon Main Draw
#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima is one win away from reaching the main draw at Wimbledon for the first time after a three-set win on Wednesday. Playing qualifying at The Championships for the first time, the 19-year-old sent Serbian Viktor Troicki into retirement with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory.
“It definitely feels pretty good coming back here,” Nakashima, who won the Grade 1 junior tournament in Roehampton in 2018, told Wimbledon.com. “I feel comfortable with the courts but obviously pro is a lot different than the juniors.”
San Diego native Nakashima, who is just five places below his career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 133, will play Latvian veteran Ernests Gulbis for a place in the main draw. The 32-year-old defeated Slovakian Andrej Martin 6-1, 6-2.
Gulbis is chasing a 13th appearance in the main draw. In 2018 he advanced through qualifying and stunned World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the third round before falling to Kei Nishikori in four sets.
China’s Zhang Zhizhen, ranked No. 178, is one win away from making his Grand Slam debut after staring down Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-6(5), 7-6(5). Zhang will play 22-year-old Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, who made his Grand Slam debut earlier this month at Roland Garros. Cerundolo, a finalist in Buenos Aires on clay this year, defeated Italian veteran Roberto Marcora 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Qualifying top seed Kamil Majchrzak, chasing his second Wimbledon main draw appearance, survived a tough battle with veteran Dutchman Robin Haase 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the final round, where he will play Chile’s World No. 232 Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera.
After surviving the first round in two tie-breaks, Barrios Vera also held his nerve Wednesday to beat Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 7-6(5), 7-6(4).