DANIIL MEDVEDEV DELIVERED the knockout blow on Chris Eubanks’ remarkable Wimbledon run by booking a semi-final spot with a thrilling five-set win.
World number 43 Eubanks looked set to once again punch above his weight in south-west London after leading the 2021 US Open champion 2-1 going into a fourth-set tie-break.
But third seed Medvedev battled back to win 6-4 1-6 4-6 7-6 (4) 6-1 under the Court One roof.
The Russian, who smashed 28 aces across a match lasting almost three hours, progressed to the last four at the Championships for the first time where he will face world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
“After the first set, for sure I didn’t want to go five,” he said. “When I lost the third, I wanted to go five!
“There was a moment in the match where I completely lost the game itself and he played well. I started to sink, I started to do a lot of mistakes, not serving well enough.
“But starting from the tie-break I managed to play amazing and I’m really happy about it.”
The defeated Eubanks arrived at SW19 with just two grand slam wins to his name and a dislike of playing on grass despite winning a title on the surface in Mallorca in June.
Shock victories over British number one Cameron Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas helped turn the surface into his “best friend” but he was quickly on the ropes on Wednesday after successive double faults gifted Medvedev an early break which ultimately decided the opening set.
Big serves and booming baseline exchanges interspersed with finesse at the net were the order of the day.
Backed by the majority of a captivated capacity crowd, including compatriot Coco Gauff, the charismatic Eubanks swiftly responded.
He raised the roof by clinching a couple of crucial breaks en route to a 29-minute second-set demolition before seizing the initiative with a third on the bounce at the start of set three.
Medvedev appeared stunned by the swift reversal in fortunes and, eager to bring some spectators on side, had raised his hands to ears following a sublime backhand winner.
Yet the 27-year-old became the pantomime villain after receiving a warning for hitting a dead ball towards courtside photographers and then continuing to dispute the decision of the umpire.
Eubanks followed up the minor quarrel with a majestic forehand winner and maintained the momentum to go 2-1 up, prompting chants of ‘USA, USA’ from the stands.
But Medvedev has never lost on this court and was not about to roll over.
The world number three, whose overall record at the All England Club is relatively uninspiring, was almost flawless throughout the fourth set, albeit unable to capitalise on a pair of break points as proceedings raced towards a tie-break.
Having gradually become the better player, classy Medvedev dug in to deservedly take the contest the distance.
The enthusiastic Eubanks appeared slightly deflated at being hauled back from the cusp of victory and a poor final set in which he failed to hold serve on three occasions and squandered two break points proved fatal.
Carlos Alcaraz beat fellow young gun and childhood friend Holger Rune to reach the semi-finals for the first time, setting up a date with Medvedev.
World number one Alcaraz and sixth seed Rune played doubles together when they were 14 and now the duo were the first men under 21 to face each other in a Wimbledon quarter-final in the open era.
It was the first time they had met at a grand slam, the start of a rivalry which could last for 10 or 15 years, and it was the Spaniard who came out top with a 7-6 (3) 6-4 6-4 victory on Centre Court.
Just six days separate the pair – Rune being the older – and as they headed into a first-set tie-break there was virtually nothing to choose between them either.
Alcaraz had hit 12 winners to Rune’s 13, both had made 12 unforced errors and both had won a total of 38 points.
Both had also double-faulted once, but Rune picked the wrong time to add to that particular tally to hand Alcaraz the advantage in the tie-break, which he went on to win with a stunning backhand return.
They exchanged further blows until 4-4 in the second set when Rune netted a simple overhead, and Alcaraz punished a second serve with another pin-point return to secure the first break of the match.
The weary Dane was given a warning for a time violation and was promptly broken for 3-2 in the third.
Rune saved a match point on his own serve but could not get near Alcaraz’s as the top seed wrapped up victory in two hours and 20 minutes.
Alcaraz, still a relative grass-court rookie despite his win at Queen’s Club a fortnight ago, said: “Honestly it’s amazing for me, a dream since I started playing tennis, making good results at Wimbledon, such a beautiful tournament.
“To be able to play a semi-final here… I think I’m playing at a great level, I didn’t expect to play such a great level on this surface so for me, it’s crazy.
“At the beginning I was really nervous playing a quarter-final and playing against Rune, someone the same age and playing at a great level. But once you get to a quarter-final there are no friends, you have to focus on yourself and I did great in that.”
Alcaraz will play Medvedev, who beat him in the second round two years ago when he really was a novice on grass, in the semi-final.
“We played two times, once here at Wimbledon,” added Alcaraz. “It’s going to be a tough one.
“But right now I’m going to enjoy this moment. You don’t play a semi-final every year.”
