WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — A month ago, Chris Eubanks began the grass-court portion of the season that leads into Wimbledon at a lower-level ATP Challenger Tour event in Surbiton, England. The 27-year-old American walked away with about $2,500 in prize money after losing in straight sets in the second round to a player ranked outside the Top 100, which only served to reinforce a distaste for the green surface.
Searching for answers, Eubanks reached out to International Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters, a four-time Grand Slam champion he befriended while playing World TeamTennis.
“I was just kind of frustrated,” he recounted. “I sent her a text, and I was like, ‘Grass is the stupidest surface to play tennis on. Why are we playing tennis — a sport in which we need the ball to bounce — on a very inconsistent surface?’ And you can’t move on it.”
Well, just look at Eubanks now: He eliminated No. 12 seed Cam Norrie of Britain 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in 2 1/2 hours on No. 1 Court at Wimbledon on Friday with 21 aces and 63 total winners to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
“Biggest win of my career, no question. By far,” said Eubanks, who has dabbled in work as a TV commentator. “Considering the moment. Considering the stage. Who I was playing. Where I played him.”
After Clijsters offered some advice about drills to help with footwork on grass — as it happens, Eubanks said, the same sort of things his coach suggested — so much seemed to change.
Eubanks went out and won a grass tournament in Mallorca, Spain, last week to collect his first ATP Tour title and rise to a career-best ranking of No. 43.
He carried that momentum to the All England Club, where the two-time NCAA All-American at Georgia Tech will face Christopher O’Connell of Australia on Saturday for a berth in the fourth round.
Against Norrie, Eubanks started about as well as possible, using his 6-foot-7 frame to propel tough-to-reach serves.
The match’s first game was a hold at love by Eubanks, with the help of two aces.
The third was a hold at love by Eubanks, with the help of four aces that arrived in a crescendo — at 115 mph, 116 mph, 119 mph and, on a second serve, 126 mph.
“At that point,” Eubanks said afterward, “I was like, ‘OK, I’m feeling good today.’”
Norrie could tell.
“He played unbelievable,” Norrie said. “What he was going for was so aggressive and so risky, and it paid off for him. Credit to him.”
And maybe — just maybe — Eubanks feels a little bit better about playing on the green stuff than he did in early June.
“That’s a very different person now, I can tell you that much,” Eubanks said. “I’m loving the grass right now.”
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