Daniil Medvedev Geoff Burke / REUTERS
The Russian did not need to force his talent to dominate Christopher Eubanks in two sets this Thursday in the quarter-finals of the American Masters 1000.
Daniil Medvedev, 5th in the world and main competitor of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, enforced logic on Thursday by beating (6-3, 7-5) the American Christopher Eubanks (119th) to join the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 of Miami.
The 27-year-old Russian, who remains on a lost final in Indian Wells against the world No.1 Spaniard, reached this stage of the Florida event for the first time, after being stopped in the quarterfinals in the two previous editions. He will try to do even better, in the next match, against the Russian Karen Khachanov (16th) or the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (31st).
He was clinical and very realistic in the first round, against an opponent paying for his inexperience, for his first at this stage of a Masters 1000, a category just below the Grand Slams. Evidenced by his two break points converted into as many opportunities, after erasing the five that the American obtained.
However, the two players were almost in balance both in the number of winning shots and unforced errors. Because Eubanks, whose surprising career in Miami will allow him at 26 to enter the top 100 for the first time next Monday, did not seem paralyzed by the challenge.
Proof of this is: he finally managed to steal the Russian’s service to return to 4-3, postponing the deadline with superb attacks. But Medvedev then managed to avoid a trap-like tiebreak, breaking again at 6-5 to close the deal on his third match point, in 1:29.
