'It's Always Exciting Playing In Atlanta': Eubanks Rekindles Fond Memories With Opening Win
ATP
Christopher Eubanks made waves at this year's Wimbledon Championships, reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal against all the odds.
The 27-year-old returned to action for the first time since his defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the All England Club on home soil at the 2023 Atlanta Open. He bounced back in excellent fashion, dismissing fellow compatriot and wild card Andres Martin 6-2, 6-4, ticking off the winner's column again.
The American produced a clinic in front of a packed house in Atlanta, a city Eubanks holds plenty of fond memories during his junior and college days while growing up. Even though he had never won a main draw match before, he played with some swagger on Tuesday, winning 16/16 first-serve points in the first set and saving all three break points he faced.
Following his exploits at this year's grass-court swing where he won a maiden ATP title in Mallorca - an achievement that is probably overshadowed and least spoken since Wimbledon, Eubanks is playing with new-found confidence. He also sits at dizzying heights inside the Top 40.
"My entire life of tennis has kind of been centered around the city of Atlanta. From the very first time I picked up a ball to my first junior tournament to the very first match I played in college. So there's a lot of memories there."
"It's always exciting playing in Atlanta, because I've always played well. I’ve had some of my best moments here as a professional and as a college player, even in juniors. I think the conditions suit my game well, so I'm just excited to get out there and play tomorrow."
Eubanks stepped outside the confines of home territory after his Top 100 breakthrough in Miami, making the trans-pacific crossing to Asia where he played at Challenger level and then oscillated between Tour-level tournaments in Europe where his stock rose sharply. And Eubanks wants the dream run to continue.
"I left I think probably back in April and I was on the road for 12 straight weeks, played 11 of 12 weeks and had some ups and downs, but the ups kind of came towards the end and things were going really well."
"I'm hoping to continue that trajectory and see where the summer takes me. This entire year really has been a dream come true, so I'm hoping to keep it going."
Eubanks will be in action in the second round of the Atlanta Open where he will take on Brandon Nakashima in the evening session.
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