Cincinnati, August 2026 – Nicolás Mejía refused to be derailed by a temporary setback, defeating Jacob Fearnley 6:3, 3:6, 6:2. The Colombian produced his best tennis in the first and third sets and thoroughly deserved his place in the semifinal of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Mejía dominates the opening and closing stages
The first set belonged emphatically to Mejía. The Colombian, currently ranked No. 1 in his country, controlled proceedings from the baseline and made the most of his break points with clinical efficiency. Fearnley could find no way to threaten, and the set went to Mejía 6:3 – a commanding start to a match-up that had never been played before at professional level.
Mejía had arrived in Cincinnati riding a wave of momentum: in July 2026 he claimed the Bogotá Challenger title, then followed it up with victory at the National Bank Open in Montreal. That form was plain to see throughout the opening set.
Fearnley hits back – then falls short in the deciding set
The second set told a different story. Fearnley, who grew up in Edinburgh and began his academic career at Texas Christian University in the United States before turning professional, dug in and fought off break points while creating opportunities of his own on return. This time the Briton converted, taking the second set 6:3 to level the match.
The deciding set, however, belonged to Mejía once again. The Colombian quickly rediscovered the authority he had shown in the opener, conceded virtually no break points and never relinquished his grip on the pace of the contest in the summer heat of Cincinnati. He closed out the set 6:2 to seal the match.
Context and what comes next
For Fearnley, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 49 in June 2025, it was another reminder of the gap still to close on the road to the very top. He had already fallen at the first hurdle in the 2025 Cincinnati qualifying event; here, at least, he reached the semifinal stage before running into an opponent in the form of his life.
Mejía's performance underscores what a run of tournament victories and sustained high-level tennis can deliver: the Colombian has firmly established himself among the leading contenders in the draw and now faces his next challenge in the 2026 Cincinnati Open semifinal – a highly promising position to be in on the eve of the US Open.
