It just keeps getting better and better for Chris Eubanks.
In March of this year the 27-year-old broke into the top 100 for the first time in his career with a quarterfinal run at the Miami Open. He clinched his first ATP title three months later on the grass courts of Mallorca. Now, in his Wimbledon main-draw debut, Eubanks finds himself in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
The 6’7” American picked up his biggest-ever win by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-set thriller as fourth-round action wrapped up at the All-England Club on Monday afternoon. Eubanks struck 13 aces and broke Tsitsipas five times to prevail 3-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 after three hours and four minutes.
“(It’s a) dream come true,” Eubanks said. “Yeah, it’s tough to really put into words, but to be able to come out today and play the way that I did, just kind of take everything in, it’s surreal. I can’t really describe it…. I just think the entire experience all together has just been a whirlwind. It’s been something that you dream about. But I think for me I didn’t really know if that dream would actually come true. I’m sitting here in it now, so it’s pretty cool.”
Eubanks made the dream a reality in part thanks to firing a tournament-leading 84 aces throughout wins over Thiago Monteiro, Cameron Norrie, Christopher O’Connell, and then Tsitsipas. However, it was a punishing forehand and ever-improving one-handed backhand that helped him find so many inroads into the Greek’s service games on Sunday. Two of the world No. 43’s breaks came in the fifth set, including one at 3-3 after he had just given a break back.
Eubanks eventually served out the match at 5-4, but not before saving two break points.
“I thought I played well when I needed to,” he assessed. “I didn’t feel like I served as well as I had in previous rounds…. Usually I’m able to produce a little bit more on the serve. Like I say, in tennis, you just got to play the big points–play certain points–better than others. I think I was able to play well when I needed to in order to get the win.
“To me that’s an even more promising sign: to say I can still win matches against high-level opponents even when I’m not just redlining the entire match, when I have a few ups and downs, but I’m able to lock in when I need to.”
With his confidence–and ranking–soaring, Eubanks will face Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
good one, Chris