Nakashima battles back in Stuttgart opener as grass season begins

STUTTGART: Brandon Nakashima launched his grass court campaign with a gritty comeback victory at the BOSS Open in Stuttgart on Monday, defeating Britain’s Jacob Fearnley 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1. The sixth-seeded American fired 12 aces and limited himself to just 22 unforced errors, staying composed through a tight second-set tiebreak before dominating the decider.

Nakashima’s win keeps him in contention for a potential quarterfinal clash with top seed and home favorite Alexander Zverev later this week.

Elsewhere in first-round action, eighth seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic eased past France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-4, while German wild card Jan-Lennard Struff delighted local fans with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard edged out Roman Safiullin in a three-set thriller, 7-6 (10), 3-6, 7-5.