Chris Eubanks gained 5 of the final six factors in a third-set tiebreaker to defeat Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic on Friday and attain the ATP Corridor of Fame Open semifinals.
The 28-year-old American eradicated Vukic 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) after two hours and 5 minutes within the grass-court occasion at Newport, Rhode Island.
“The match had numerous ups and downs. The third set I actually caught a very good rhythm and that energized me,” Eubanks mentioned.
“After I acquired that first maintain within the third set I felt like myself once more. I used to be having fun with it. I used to be actually happy with how I performed and the way I competed. Excited to get one other win.”
Eubanks, who gained his solely prior ATP remaining on Mallorca grass in June 2023, superior to a Saturday semifinal in opposition to US second seed Marcos Giron, who ousted Aussie qualifier Alex Bolt 6-4, 6-1 to create an all-American final 4.
Giron reached his third ATP semi-final of the 12 months, all on residence soil. He misplaced to Tommy Paul in February’s Dallas remaining and dropped a Delray Seaside semifinal to Taylor Fritz.
The opposite semifinal will ship wild card Reilly Opelka, in his first match since 2022 at Washington, in opposition to 19-year-old Alex Michelsen, final 12 months’s Newport runner-up.
Opelka, at 1,188th on the earth, is the lowest-ranked participant within the ATP period to achieve a semifinal, having tumbled throughout his absence following hip and wrist operations.
Eubanks, ranked 128th, was solely 6-15 in ATP matches this 12 months till his Newport run.
Vukic, who fell to 8-2 this 12 months in deciding-set tiebreakers, surrendered a double fault to offer Eubanks a 4-2 lead and Eubanks adopted with a forehand winner.
They exchanged errant forehands earlier than the sixth-seeded Aussie netted a forehand volley handy fourth-seeded Eubanks the triumph.