Daniil Medvedev advanced to the Wimbledon semi-finals after a five-set victory over unseeded American Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
Medvedev, the world No. 3 player, fended off an impressive attempt by Eubanks, who at one point led by two sets after the third. Medvedev won a tiebreaker in the fourth set, however, before a landslide victory in the fifth and final set to win the match.
Medvedev looked quite comfortable in the first set, handling most of what Eubanks sent him en route to a 6-4 victory. But the second set felt like a completely different game. After evaluating Medvedev for an entire set, Eubanks turned on the tap and let him rip. It was an all-out assault, and all Medvedev could do was pull out his racquet and hope the ball hit him.
It’s a bit of a stretch, but Medvedev looked shocked and unhappy after losing the second set 6-1. He was able to control the third set better, keeping things much tighter. He never led but found himself within a game of Eubanks at 5-4. It was then that Eubanks pulled the strings again, winning the third set and sending the underdog crowd into a frenzy.
There were just six wins between Eubanks and his maiden trip to a Grand Slam semi-final, but Medvedev wasn’t going to make it easy for him. The Russian tried to dig in and get back into the game. He won the first game and made Eubanks work hard to hold on in the second. That’s what was different about the second and third sets: Medvedev was trying to tire Eubanks.
It was a decent plan, as trying to beat Eubanks directly wasn’t working. Combined with a solid serve, Medvedev managed to take a 3-2 lead and quickly took a 5-4 lead, trying to level the match at two sets apiece. But he didn’t know how to put Eubanks away after a take. So, how to end this set other than with a tie-break?
By then, things had turned around a bit. Medvedev’s serve had improved dramatically since the start of the match, and Eubanks had yet to figure out how to adapt. Medvedev took the tiebreak easily, forcing a fifth set.
Medvedev took full control of the match in the fifth set. He took an easy 4-0 lead with little resistance from his American opponent. Fatigue seemed to set in finally and mercilessly for Eubanks, who only won one game before Medvedev claimed victory. Despite the loss, Eubanks left the court to a chorus of cheers after his superb run at Wimbledon.
Medvedev, meanwhile, awaits the winner of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune in the semi-finals.