Eubanks edges Vukic to reach Newport ATP semi-finals

NEW DELHI: Chris Eubanks, the American tennis player, emerged victorious against Aleksandar Vukic from Australia in the ATP Hall of Fame Open quarter-finals on Friday. The match, which lasted for two hours and five minutes, took place on the grass courts of Newport, Rhode Island.
Eubanks clinched the win by securing five of the last six points in the third-set tiebreaker, resulting in a final score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3).The 28-year-old's strong performance in the crucial moments of the match propelled him into the tournament's semi-finals.
"The match had a lot of ups and downs. Third set I really caught a good rhythm and that energized me," Eubanks said, as quoted by AFP.
"After I got that first hold in the third set I felt like myself again. I was enjoying it. I was really pleased with how I played and how I competed. Excited to get another win."
Eubanks, who claimed his maiden ATP title on the grass courts of Mallorca in June 2023, now progresses to the semi-finals on Saturday. His opponent will be determined by the outcome of the match between Australian qualifier Alex Bolt and the second seed from the United States, Marcos Giron.
Prior to his impressive run in Newport, Eubanks, currently ranked 128th in the world, had a modest record of 6-15 in ATP matches this year.
In the decisive tiebreaker, Vukic, known for his strong performance in such situations with an 8-1 record this year, committed a costly double fault, allowing Eubanks to take a 4-2 lead.
Eubanks capitalized on this opportunity by hitting a forehand winner. After trading forehand errors, Vukic ultimately netted a forehand volley, sealing Eubanks' hard-fought victory.
Vukic's sole appearance in an ATP final came in Atlanta last July, where he was defeated by Taylor Fritz of the United States.
In the other semi-final match on Saturday, Reilly Opelka, a US wild card entrant playing in his first tournament since competing in Washington in 2022, will face off against his 19-year-old compatriot, Alex Michelsen, who finished as the runner-up in Newport last year.
Despite his current world ranking of 1,188, which is the lowest for a player reaching an ATP semi-final in the Open Era, Opelka has managed to secure a spot in the final four. His significant drop in the rankings can be attributed to his prolonged absence from the tour, during which he underwent surgeries on his hip and wrist.