Washington ATP 500

[stroke]

https://tennis-infinity.com/atp/2023-citi-open-washington-atp-draw-with-murray-tiafoe-eubanks-more

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dkuafgKpEfKyfPn7A

Betting odds to win tournament. How about Chris, in the conversation.

[stroke]

Chris looks every bit a serious contender in his 2nd round win in Washington.

[seano]

In DC and watched the Eubanks match. Points don't last long with his serve. Not impressed with his backhand, at all.

[stotty]

In DC and watched the Eubanks match. Points don't last long with his serve. Not impressed with his backhand, at all.

That's why you cannot beat watching players live rather than on TV. I watched Sock at Wimbledon some years back. His return on grass was woeful...most times it was simply a bunt because his heavy grip changes just don't work on grass. I watched the same match on TV that evening on the highlights and that fault didn't show up quite the same as seeing it live.

[stroke]

In DC and watched the Eubanks match. Points don't last long with his serve. Not impressed with his backhand, at all.

That is very interesting.

[don_budge]

In DC and watched the Eubanks match. Points don't last long with his serve. Not impressed with his backhand, at all.

While he has an explosive forehand the question becomes is it more explosive than consistently reliable over the course of a match. A season. A career. Once engaged in a rally a smart opponent is going to do everything they can to exploit the backhand which appears to be the weaker link in the chain that is the Eubanks tennis game.

At 27 years old Eubanks is 25-34 total win loss for his career. That isn't many matches at the ATP tour level. He is still somewhat an unproven entity. This year he is 16-10 with a 9-3 record on grass...6-6 on hardcourts. Obviously he has a bigger advantage on grass. Given his record so far it doesn't appear to me that it is a given for him to advance in the rankings much higher than where he is at. The long term prognosis is a little more cloudy as well. Last night it was obvious that once he is engaged in a rally...the longer that rally ensues the more he looks vulnerable. So at his height he is a bit of a fish out of water playing against the prototypical modern baseliner, grind it out player. He will be more susceptible to injury...I think.

How will he do at the bigger venues on slower surfaces? If Eubanks had been a player back in the day of three Grand Slam events played on grass courts he might have a better chance of eating his way up the food chain. As it is...it will be one bite at a time.

Excellent observation. It will be interesting going forwards in Washington to see how it all shakes down. Jordan Thompson, a journeyman pro, next on the Eubanks agenda. The next bite. No push over but not the cream of the crop either. A rather soft draw for Christopher that would have the likes of Roger Federer licking his chops.

The comment about the backhand is telling and goes along with my analysis. The backhand is the weak link in the chain and more easily exploitable on the slower surfaces.

[stroke]

Jordan is actually the slight betting favorite over Chris.

[don_budge]

Christopher Eubanks Watch...

While he has an explosive forehand the question becomes is it more explosive than consistently reliable over the course of a match. A season. A career. Once engaged in a rally a smart opponent is going to do everything they can to exploit the backhand which appears to be the weaker link in the chain that is the Eubanks tennis game.

At 27 years old Eubanks is 25-34 total win loss for his career. That isn't many matches at the ATP tour level. He is still somewhat an unproven entity. This year he is 16-10 with a 9-3 record on grass...6-6 on hardcourts. Obviously he has a bigger advantage on grass. Given his record so far it doesn't appear to me that it is a given for him to advance in the rankings much higher than where he is at. The long term prognosis is a little more cloudy as well. Last night it was obvious that once he is engaged in a rally...the longer that rally ensues the more he looks vulnerable. So at his height he is a bit of a fish out of water playing against the prototypical modern baseliner, grind it out player. He will be more susceptible to injury...I think.

How will he do at the bigger venues on slower surfaces? If Eubanks had been a player back in the day of three Grand Slam events played on grass courts he might have a better chance of eating his way up the food chain. As it is...it will be one bite at a time.

Jordan Thompson up a set and a break. Match proceeding much as I describe in the above post. I think that Eubanks is going to have a couple of problems going forwards and not the least of them will be the dreaded "EXPECTATIONS". He looks to be more impatient now. Slightly distracted. Hmmm...let's see how this match plays out. Thompson has beaten Eubanks twice in the past.

[stroke]

Jordan just routines Chris. Those damn oddsmakers were right. I am glad I do not bet.

[jimlosaltos]

Quite the ending for Fritz-Murray: Taylor Fritz wins the match 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 .

Murray had 3 game points vs Frtiz trying to serve it out. Then Fritz had 3 match points. Sir Andy's still got a lot of fight.

[seano]

Eubanks didn't look good, at all. His topspin backhand is not tour quality. He will miss several by 10 feet.

[stroke]

Eubanks didn't look good, at all. His topspin backhand is not tour quality. He will miss several by 10 feet.

I have always felt that was his biggest issue. He got hot with it in Mallorca and Wimbledon, but he was certainly not hot today. If I had bet on the match, I would have taken the slight underdog Eubanks, and lost.

[don_budge]

Christopher Eubanks Watch...

Jordan Thompson up a set and a break. Match proceeding much as I describe in the above post. I think that Eubanks is going to have a couple of problems going forwards and not the least of them will be the dreaded "EXPECTATIONS". He looks to be more impatient now. Slightly distracted. Hmmm...let's see how this match plays out. Thompson has beaten Eubanks twice in the past.

Eubanks didn't look good, at all. His topspin backhand is not tour quality. He will miss several by 10 feet.

Not only did he not look good...he didn't feel good. It was interesting to see that everything felt uncomfortable for him. He was nervy. As if something was getting on his nerves. He looked so out of sorts on his serve. Completely lost the rhythm...the tempo. Thompson is just a very well seasoned journeyman, yet he found out very quickly what it was going to take to put Eubanks in the bag. The proverbial bag. In the interview Thompson noted how this was "the cleanest match I've played" this year. You see how the opponents now will relish the opportunity to take on the highly ranked Eubanks as it will now be a feather in their caps. Eubanks has celebrity status now and along with that status goes a couple of things. Expectations is number one. The nerves are not accustomed to the limelight and subsequently they get all tangled up. Just as they did for Christopher last night. It looked like his girlfriend caught some kind of nerve bug from him...she looked out of sorts. Afterall...now she is a celebrity too. How was she supposed to react to her man getting roughed up in public. She looked like she wanted to hide. So did Christopher.

Yeah...the backhand isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. It is exploitable. He might crack a good one but if the opponent hits back a good reply it will whittle down to a fifty-fifty effort on the next backhand. A maybe backhand from the big guy. So the other problem going forwards for Eubanks is now pretty complicated. Number one...he is playing the wrong game and he does have a hitch in his backswing. At 6' 7" tall he can get away with it. If he is going great guns and just swinging for the bleachers. But if it gets tight...we'll see. I think nerves played a big part in this match.

John Yandell hits it on the head in his serve thread. He says what I have said. This is a serve and volley player if there ever was one. This physique is not meant to go side to side. He is meant to go forwards...NBA style if you will. I heard the NBA stuff bandied about a bit. Well follow through on that thought and NBA movement is going up and down the court...serve and volley style. But I would add that the serve is still a work in process. As good as it is, it is still a bit of shock and awe. Not nearly as refined as it should be. Not nearly as elegant as it potentially could be. Serving is an art. Every bit as much as archery is in "Zen and the Art of Archery". It is an aiming process and then it is something as sublime as it comes. Not so much the unbridled shock and awe of Eubanks. But that is modern tennis. The sublime has surely been engineered out of the game. Very few people even talk about it anymore. Orwell and Huxley would understand what I am talking about.

So as I have said now a number of times...it will be interesting going forwards. Then there is Alex Michelsen. Well there isn't any Federer any more. There is very little to really take interest in. So Eubanks gets the nod by default. It gives people something to talk about. Or in my case...something to write about.

[stroke]

DB, I hope you read that article I linked on Fed by Hugh Clarke. You would like it I think.

Jordan Thompson has a very good serve, particularly for a not tall player.