Clutch when it mattered: Medvedev ends Eubanks’ dream run to reach maiden Wimbledon semi-final
The Russian was up against it, trailing two sets to one, when he raised his game and served his way out of trouble and into his first Wimbledon semi-final.
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With his back against the wall, the No.1 Court supporting his opponent at full throat, and time running out, Daniil Medvedev casually tossed the ball in the air and hammered an ace.
Rinse, lather, repeat.
Medvedev ripped 10 aces, and dropped just two points on serve, in a pivotal fourth set that finally gave him the edge he needed against upstart American Chris Eubanks in Wednesday’s quarter-final at Wimbledon.
Medvedev took the momentum earned in set four and waltzed through the decider to notch a hard-fought 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 victory that puts him in a Wimbledon semi-final for the first time in his career, and improves his lifetime record in Grand Slam quarter-finals to 6-1.
Next up? A date with top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz for a spot in the final.
Eubanks, bidding to become the third man to reach a Wimbledon semi-final on his main draw debut, was one of the most captivating stories of the first ten days of the Championships. But his dream run came to a screeching halt as a determined Medvedev showed his steel in the waning moments of a heated contest that looked to be in Eubanks’ pocket as the fourth set began.
“There was a moment in the match where I completely lost the game, and he played well,” Medvedev said after the win. “I started to sink, I started to do a lot of mistakes, not serving well enough. Actually in the third set I managed to kind of, step-by-step, start to build something.
“And it helped me in the fourth, to just be there. I had more opportunities than him – starting from the tiebreaker I managed to play amazing and I’m really happy about it.”
Achievement Unlocked 🔓@DaniilMedwed is into his first #Wimbledon semi-final 👏 pic.twitter.com/8E4tspx5Qm
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2023
27-year-old Eubanks will no doubt look back on the match as a missed opportunity, but when he reflects on his incredible run at SW19 over the last ten days, he’ll beam with the pride that comes with knowing that he has finally arrived as a force on tour after years of toiling in obscurity on the challenger circuit.
As for Medvedev, the Russian continues to play brilliantly in 2023. He leads the ATP Tour in titles with five (tied with Alcaraz) and match wins with 46. Though dominant for much of the season, Medvedev’s third-round loss at the Australian Open (to Sebastian Korda) and his first-round loss at Roland-Garros (to Thiago Seyboth Wild) have left a bitter taste in his mouth at the Slams.
He’s changed that tune at Wimbledon, with five steady wins to reach the last four.
Never considered to be a natural on grass, he has demonstrated stellar acumen on the surface this year, and improves to 13-4 lifetime at Wimbledon.
On Wednesday, faced with the lethal serving and forehand of Eubanks, he weathered the storm and relied on his big match experience to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Eubanks, 2-8 lifetime at the Grand Slams before his dramatic run to the quarter-finals, had no answers for Medvedev’s serving down the stretch.
Serving, it’s the key on grass
Medvedev was unbreakable in sets four and five, dropping just four first-serve points as he took the racquet out of Eubanks’ hands.
The Russian said that serving was the biggest reason for his win, and he believes it will be the key to future success at Wimbledon this year.
“It’s grass,” he said. “You have to serve well, and that’s honestly the most important because sometimes you can play on grass almost the best match of your life, but you can lose in three tiebreaks and nobody will care that you played well.
“So I want to serve well.”
Centre Court – a new challenge
Most players are keen to get an upgrade in court at Wimbledon, with many pining away for a chance to play on Centre Court. Not Medvedev however. The Russian says he’ll be sad to leave the friendly confines of Wimbledon’s No.1 Court, a patch of grass that he prefers to all others.
“Next match, I’ll have to play on center court,” he said. “I didn’t win that many five set matches in my career. And here I have two, one coming from two sets to love down. So yeah, definitely my favorite court, maybe anywhere, so far – anyway happy to be in the semi-finals.”
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