Ricky’s picks for Day 10 at Wimbledon: Medvedev vs. Eubanks

At the 2023 Miami Masters, Daniil Medvedev’s quarterfinal assignment was to end the best run of Chris Eubanks’ career.

Medvedev will have the same task in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon.

Eubanks is once again the quarterfinals of a big tournament–this one even bigger than Miami. The 6’7” American is in the midst of an improbable run at Wimbledon, which follows his first-ever ATP title on the grass courts of Mallorca. Maintaining momentum at the All-England Club, Eubanks has knocked off Thiago Monteiro, Cameron Norrie, Christopher O’Connell, and then Stefanos Tsitsipas–the latter in five sets.

An even tougher test comes in the form of Medvedev, who won their Miami meeting 6-3, 7-5. But it was more competitive than the scoreline suggests.

Grass could make it tougher for Medvedev, who has never been at his best on this surface. He lost his opening match in ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Adrian Mannarino earlier this summer and then fell to Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets in the Halle quarterfinals. However, the world No. 3 has raised his level at Wimbledon with victories over Arthur Fery, Mannarino, Fucsovics, and Jiri Lehecka.

Medvedev is aware that Eubanks has a bigger game and more confidence than those first four opponents.

“He’s a great player,” the Russian said. “Miami was his first…let’s call it breakthrough in a way. That’s where he went into the top hundred, coming from quallies, made (the) quarters–his best result at the (time). He played great against me. It was a very tough match. I was on fire. I managed to beat him. But it was a tough one.

“Here he’s on fire again. He just won his first ATP title. Here in the quarters beating Stefanos (in) five sets; unbelievable…. I know that I’m playing someone very dangerous in the quarterfinals who is on the rise right now. I hope he’s not going to be on absolute fire. Or if he is, I hope I’m going to be, too.”

It’s hard to be “on fire” against Medvedev, because he is an expert at getting balls back in play and forcing errors. Such retrieval skills aren’t easy to do on grass–but if anyone can do it against Eubanks, it’s Medvedev.

Pick: Medvedev in 5

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.