Miami Masters: Eubanks makes third round, saving incredible match point against Evans

Miami is a special place for American Christopher Eubanks, who broke the Top 100 last year on these courts and, this year, the No 31 seed edged out Daniel Evans 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (7) to move into the third round of the Miami Open.

At the end of the 2 hour and 38 minute battle, Eubanks saved two match points, the first one after an incredible rally. Almost aced by Evans, Eubanks returned with a slow high ball. Evans’ volley was not clean enough, letting Eubanks hit a forehand winner down the line with his back firmly against the wall.

From there, Eubanks took three of the next four points of the deciding set tiebreak, taking it on the tightest of margins to record yet another famous victory for the American in Miami.

Eubanks, ranked No 32, will face Alexander Zverev, the No 4 seed, next, after the German comfortably dispatched the struggling Felix Auger-Aliassime to make the last 32.

In the previous round of the Miami Open, Evans, ranked No 43, edged out Italian Lorenzo Sonego (1-6, 6-3, 6-4).

Miami Masters 1000, other second-round results (Hard Rock Stadium, hard, USD 10.404.205, most recent results first):

• Fabian Marozsan vs. Holger Rune
• Jiri Lehecka vs. Alexei Popyrin
• Alex De Minaur vs. SoonWoo Kwon
• Grigor Dimitrov vs. Alejandro Tabilo
• Daniel Altmaier vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
• Yannick Hanfmann vs. Adrian Mannarino
• Martin Landaluce vs. Ben Shelton
• Lorenzo Musetti vs. Roman Safiullin
• Gael Monfils vs. Jordan Thompson
• Laslo Djere vs. Karen Khachanov: sunday
• Francisco Cerundolo vs. Sebastian Ofner: sunday
• Carlos Alcaraz (1) beat Roberto Carballes Baena: 6-2, 6-1
• Alexander Zverev beat Felix Auger-Aliassime: 6-2, 6-4
• Sebastian Korda (28) beat Roberto Bautista Agut (Q): 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz (8) beat Alexander Shevchenko: 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3
• Cameron Norrie (30) beat Flavio Cobolli: 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2
• Daniil Medvedev (3) beat Marton Fucsovics: 6-4, 6-2
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Alexander Bublik (17): 6-4, 6-1
• Casper Ruud (7) beat Luca Van Assche: 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-1
• Jannik Sinner (2) beat Andrea Vavassori (Q): 6-3, 6-4
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (27) beat Juncheng Shang (WC): 6-3, 7-5
• Andy Murray beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry (29): 7-6, 6-3
• Denis Shapovalov beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (10): 6-2, 6-4
• Thiago Seyboth Wild (Q) beat Taylor Fritz (12): 6-3, 6-4
• Dominik Koepfer beat Sebastian Baez (18): 6-3, 6-2
• Christopher O’Connell beat Frances Tiafoe (21): 7-5, 7-6 (5)
• Tallon Griekspoor (25) beat Alex Michelsen: 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 6-4
• Nicolas Jarry (22) beat Jack Draper: 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (2)
• Martin Damm (WC) beat Tommy Paul (13): 4-6, 2-1 ret.
• Ugo Humbert (14) beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 6-4, 6-3
• Tomas Machac beat Andrey Rublev (5): 6-4, 6-4