SAN DIEGO, September 25, 2022 (by Richard Osborn)

It’s only fitting that the San Diego Open ATP 250 should come down to a battle between two Californians: one a hometown favorite, who came of age on these very same Barnes Tennis Center courts; the other who made a name for himself just up the I-5 at UCLA, where he claimed college tennis’ ultimate prize.

The San Diegan Brandon Nakashima keeps charging toward what could be the ideal homecoming. Building on a summer that saw him post career-best showings at both Wimbledon and the US Open, the 21-year-old ousted surprise semifinalist Christopher O’Connell of Australia, No. 130 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, 6-4, 7-6 (3), on Saturday in one hour and 50 minutes.

6-4 7-6 💪@b_nakashima continues his solid form this week, defeating O’Connell in straight sets to reach his 3rd career final!#SanDiegoOpen pic.twitter.com/K80YXcsPrq

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 25, 2022

“No better place to do it than my hometown,” said Nakashima, whose family and friends have been in the stands throughout the tournament. “I’m really excited about it. I’ve had a great week. I feel confident in my game right now. I could feel the support out there from the very first point.”

The fifth seed Nakashima would save the only two break points he faced, and won 40 of 48 first-serve points (83 percent).

“I knew I had to serve well,” Nakashima added. “That affects the rest of my game, off the ground and on my returns. I tried to make as many first serves as possible, and be aggressive off the first ball.”

There were times when, after undergoing right (2015) then left (2016) hip surgery that Marcos Giron considered walking away from the sport altogether. It’s a good thing he opted to stick around. Seeded at a tour-level event for the first time, the former Bruin — the 2014 NCAA singles titlist — finds himself through to the first ATP final of his career, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over top seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain.

It marked the No. 3 seed’s first win over the 25th-ranked Evans in three career head-to-heads.

Breaking new ground 👏

Californian Marcos Giron reaches his FIRST tour-level final with a 6-3 7-5 win over Evans!#SanDiegoOpen pic.twitter.com/xXQyP3iCSQ

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 24, 2022

“Everyone’s got their own pace, but I’m so happy to finally be in an ATP final, especially here in San Diego. It’s incredible,” said the Thousand Oaks native, who smacked eight of his 11 aces in the second set and finished with 40 winners to just 13 unforced errors. “Being a Southern California guy, playing here growing up, it’s kind of full-circle.”

The 32-year-old Evans’ two-week, Flushing Meadows-to-Glasgow-to-San Diego odyssey may have caught up with him in the end. He had yet to drop a set in his first two matches, and is now 3-8 in tour-level semifinal appearances.

“Coming into this, I knew it was going to be a really tough match,” said Giron, 29. “I came in doing a good job under pressure. I just want to keep that going, really believe in myself, back myself. Ultimately, that’s what got me the win today.”

SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE

Sunday’s Nakashima vs. Giron showdown (not before 5 p.m. in Barnes Stadium) will be the sixth final of 2022 featuring two players from the same nation. Both will be gunning for their first tour-level title. Although they have yet to face off on the ATP Tour, they are more than familiar with each other’s games.

“Brandon and I, we’ve practiced together many times,” said Giron “We even practiced together earlier this week. He’s a great player. He’s had a good year, done well at the Slams.”

The San Diego Open ATP 250 Doubles Final will be played Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Jason Kubler and Luke Saville of Australia will meet Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow for the championship.

RESULTS – SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

Singles – Semifinals
[3] M. Giron (USA) d [1] D. Evans (GBR) 63 75
[5] B. Nakashima (USA) d C. O’Connell (AUS) 64 76(3)