Christopher Eubanks bows out with a bang after dazzling Wimbledon debut
Christopher Eubanks’s remarkable Wimbledon journey came to an end in the last eight by Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday but the American newcomer has made a lasting impression on the tournament.
The 27-year-old was firing winners from his racket like rockets and seemed ready to follow in the footsteps of American legend John McEnroe and make the last four on his debut.
But he eventually ran out of steam and lost 6-4 1-6 4-6 7-6(4) 6-1 to the third seed, getting a standing ovation as he left Court One.
His aggressive and fluid tennis, full of classic serve and volley, crisp returns and powerful serves propelled the former Georgia Tech player into the hearts of the Court One fans – and also into the history books.
Eubanks finished his Wimbledon run with 321 winners, breaking Andre Agassi’s record from 1992.
Of the 1 244 points he played during five matches at the All England Club, 26 per cent of them ended in a Eubanks winner – a tournament leading statistic.
His ace count of 102, through the quarters, was also the highest in the tournament while his frequent trips to the net gave him 168 points with a 68 per cent success rate – numbers that will encourage those who miss the volleyers.
But beyond the numbers, Eubanks, who only entered the top 100 last year and is a part-time tennis commentator, charmed the Wimbledon crowds with his smooth tennis, lively personality and for the fact that he played with a grin.
Eubanks, who won his first ATP title in Mallorca the week before Wimbledon, beat British No 1 Cameron Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to the quarters.
He seemed to have the upper hand over Medvedev until the Russian third seed fought back and Eubanks said he had finally understood what he had done.
“I think this morning it did kind of sit in a little bit after I woke up, just realising that, man, I’m getting ready to play a Grand Slam quarterfinal today. That’s really, really cool,” Eubanks told reporters.
“These two or three weeks have been filled with positives. I didn’t win today. I’m disappointed about it. It’s unfortunate for me. But I think I showed a lot of positive signs that I can take moving forward, so I’m okay with that.”
Eubanks hit an amazing 74 winners against Medvedev, but also made 55 unforced errors – a risky strategy that he said was the only one he can play.
“It’s a game style that I’ve had since I really started playing tennis at a high level, starting as a teenager,” he said. “I kind of went for my shots. I’m okay with living and dying by the mistakes.”
Eubanks will rise to a personal best of 31 in the world rankings after his Wimbledon feats and while his fantasy may be over, he will gain huge confidence.
“I think it tells me that when I’m having fun and I’m playing carefree, I’m a pretty good tennis player,” he said.
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