Wimbledon 2023: Debutant Eubanks eliminates Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Sabalenka enter last eight

It was a case of better late than never for Christopher Eubanks as the gentle American giant was roared on to a 3-6 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday.Eubanks, 27, is no spring chicken but after finally making it into the Wimbledon main draw for the first time this year he has made it into the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time with a rousing win over the Greek maverick.

The 24-year-old Tsitsipas, who was in action for the seventh day running after having to put up with numerous rain disruptions during his matches, was bidding to become the first Greek man to reach the last eight at the All England Club. He played his part in the highly entertaining encounter, often picking himself up off the ground to hit a winning shot.

But he met his match in the 6-foot-7 inch (2.01-metre) Eubanks, whose cheering squad included his occasional mixed doubles partner and compatriot Coco Gauff. Tsitsipas broke back to level for 3-3 in the final set but could then only watch in awe as the world number 43 hit a stupendous backhand down the line in the next game to again nose ahead 4-3.

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With the finishing line in sight at 5-4 up, Eubanks survived two break points before he belted down his 12th ace to bring up match point and a rip-roaring forehand winner finished off the job. While Gauff whipped out her phone to record her friend's greatest ever triumph, Eubanks was beaming from ear-to-ear as he gave the Court Two crowd a double thumbs up fist pump.

"I feel like I am living a dream right now, this is absolutely insane," he said after setting up a quarter-final showdown with Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev. "It's surreal, it's unbelievable, I can't believe it," added the American after notching up his ninth straight win on grass.

A few weeks after claiming he hated playing on the surface, Eubanks made a u-turn on that assessment. "The grass and I have had a very strenuous relationship over the years but right now it's my best friend," joked Eubanks, who won his first ATP title on grass in Mallorca in the run-up to Wimbledon. For Tsitsipas, Monday's defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, especially after he had to overcome two Grand Slam champions in the shape of Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray just to reach the third round.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV ENTERS FIRST-EVER WIMBLEDON QUARTERS

Third seed Daniil Medvedev reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time on Monday when his fourth-round opponent Jiri Lehecka retired injured after losing the first two sets 6-4 6-2. Medvedev, a former U.S. Open champion, has played four Grand Slam finals but has always struggled at Wimbledon. "I knew that Wimbledon was so far my worst Grand Slam in terms of going far so I'm really happy to be in the quarters here," the Russian said, adding that he had, however, always enjoyed success on Court One.

Lehecka, 21, who had played a four-hour five-set match against Tommy Paul in the last round, took a timeout after the first set while a trainer treated blisters on his right foot. The Czech, who produced 33 unforced errors in the match, struggled on through the second set but Medvedev broke his serve twice and was untroubled on his own.

"I feel sorry for Jiri because fourth round at Wimbledon, to get hurt it's not easy," Medvedev, 27, said. "Hopefully he can recover fast and he has a lot more Grand Slams ahead of him." The former world number one did not play at Wimbledon last year because of the ban on Russian competitors following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a 'special military operation'.

"It's my fifth Wimbledon and I was not very successful but I've never lost on Court One so I feel sorry that I probably for the quarters am going to play on Centre Court," the genial Medvedev said. "I'm like, can I just continue here? I love it. I never lost so far here. I'm really happy and looking forward to my next match. Hopefully I can give 100%."

Also Read:Tennis: Wimbledon 2023 - Novak Djokovic enters last eight with hard-fought win over Hubert Hurkacz

ARYNA SABALENKA STORMS INTO QFs

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her march towards a second Grand Slam title this year with a comfortable 6-4 6-0 victory over Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday to power into the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Both players were absent from the tournament last year after the grasscourt Grand Slam decided to ban players from Russia and its ally Belarus due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special military operation".

Belarusian Sabalenka said she hoped to make up for lost time by continuing her winning run in London on her return. "I'm really enjoying being here," Sabalenka said. "I'm super happy to be back and I'm really enjoying every second on court... I just want to stay as long as I can so I can enjoy the atmosphere."

The normally aggressive Australian Open champion, who could potentially replace Iga Swiatek at the top of the world rankings by lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish, bagged the first set with a late break, playing some delightfully delicate shots at the net. The 28-year-old Alexandrova had eased past her Belarusian opponent in their previous two meetings but a repeat was never on the cards under bright sunshine on Court One as Sabalenka pounced early in the second set for a 4-0 lead.

Serving with power and precision, the 2021 semi-finalist tightened her grip on the match with a solid hold and closed out the contest when fast-fading 21st seed Alexandrova sent a shot long at the baseline. "I think it was a great match, I'm super happy with this win. She's a really tough opponent to play," said Sabalenka, who fell to Alexandrova in the 's-Hertogenbosch final last year. "I'm happy with the level I played today."

Sabalenka, 25, who has dropped one set in the tournament so far, faces American 25th seed Madison Keys in the last eight. "It's always a tough battle," said Sabalenka, who beat Keys in the Berlin last 16 in 2021 to level their tour-level head-to-head record at 1-1. "I'm really looking forward to it."

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