Game of aces helps Eubanks reach all-American Newport SFs

Who doesn’t love a game of aces?

After pitching a shutout at 3-all in the third set against Australian Aleksandar Vukic, Christopher Eubanks held on for a tight 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) win Friday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open to advance to his first tour-level semi-final since he won his maiden title on grass in Mallorca last year.

“You step to the line, the first one goes in, you have a good rhythm,” the American said in his on-court interview at the grass-court ATP 250 in Newport. “The second one goes in and the mind starts to wonder, ‘Oh, can I do it again?’

“You pump the third one and then all of a sudden the crowd starts to get behind you. I knew I was going for two first serves on that 40/0 point. Luckily I made the first one and I gave the crowd a little fist pump."

4️⃣ in a row🤯🔥@chris_eubanks96
⁰@TennisHalloFame | #InfosysHallOfFameOpen pic.twitter.com/6AxZzySOBO

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 19, 2024

The former Top 30 player has fallen to No. 128 in the PIF ATP Rankings after recently dropping points from Mallorca and from his quarter-final run at Wimbledon last year. He is 8-15 on the season.

Eubanks, who hit 13 aces and seven double faults according to Infosys ATP Stats, saved six of eight break points he faced. The 28-year-old has climbed to No. 105 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, and will re-enter the Top 100 should he advance to the final.

Eubanks on Saturday will face his Olympics teammate, second-seeded Marcos Giron, who defeated Australian Alex Bolt 6-4, 6-1 to set an all-American semi-final line-up in Newport for the first time since 1985 (Gullikson, Pate, Sadri and Mayotte).

Playing in front of mentor Andre Agassi, who is in town for this weekend’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Giron saved all three break points he faced to move into his seventh semi-final (2-4 record) and third this year (Dallas and Delray Beach).

“Four Americans in the semi-finals is something we love to see, I’m pumped that we’re here,” Giron said. “I’ve known Chris for a long time so it’s great to see him stepping up this week and playing really well and I’m really proud to be teammates with him the next couple of weeks.”

Giron, now 18-17 on the season, moved back to his career-high mark of No. 44 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after defeating Bolt in a first-time Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

In Saturday's other semi-final, #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen will take on big-serving Reilly Opelka, who has struck form this week after an extended layoff due to injury.