Fasten your seatbelts for a mega all-American clash in Houston! After having a pretty ordinary season this year, Christopher Eubanks has finally managed to turn things around at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships. He is now all set to face the 23-year-old Brandon Nakashima in the QF. Eubanks has met Nakashima quite a few times in his career, but his last win against the youngster came in 2023. After that hard-fought battle against Nakashima, when he was asked what adjustments he made late in the match to secure a victory, Eubanks said, “I just closed my eyes & guessed.” Can the 28-year-old yet stun his in-form compatriot again, or will California’s B-Nak keep his dominating run intact against the Georgian?
Christopher Eubanks vs Brandon Nakashima: Preview
Christopher Eubanks has been struggling a bit with his form in the last few months. His best result this season came at the Challenger Canberra, AU, where he reached the QF. Although in Houston, he secured a victory in a three-set thriller against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the R32, he didn’t have to put much effort into his next match. Eubanks was leading 6-1 when Japan’s Kei Nishikori pulled out of the R16 match due to injury. So, he has now got a fair amount of rest before the QFs. Will this give him an edge over Nakashima? Time will tell!
Brandon Nakashima has been in good form this season, reaching the QF at the Delray Beach Open and the SF of the Mexican Open. Later, he also defeated Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the R32 to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Indian Wells. After beating the Italian in that match, Nakashima said it “can’t get much more special” than to be in the fourth round in Indian Wells. However, his journey didn’t continue for much longer as he was beaten by Ben Shelton in the R16!
Nakashima managed to make it to the R16 in Miami as well, but his journey was cut short again, this time by Grigor Dimitrov. But here in Houston, Nakashima showcased a dominating performance in his previous match against Mackenzie McDonald, defeating him by a 6-1,7-5 margin.
Eubanks vs Nakashima: Head-to-Head
Christopher Eubanks has crossed paths with Brandon Nakashima six times in his career so far. Currently, Nakashima leads the H2H record by a 4-2 margin against the relatively experienced campaigner.
2024 Stuttgart R32: Nakashima 7-6(4),6-4.
2024 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells R128: Nakashima 6-3,7-6(3)
2023 Altanta R16: Eubanks 6(4)-7,6-4,7-5.
2021 ATP Masters 1000 Miami 1st Round Qualifying: Nakashima 6(5)-7,6-4,6-4.
2019 Champaign R22: Eubanks 6-4,7-6(5).
2019 Tiburon R16: Nakashima 7-6(5),7-5.
Prediction: Nakashima will win this match in straight sets
Brandon Nakashima (33) has been comparatively in better form this season. He has recorded a win-loss record of 11-8, while it’s for Christopher Eubanks (117), it’s 3-5 on the main Tour in 2025. Also, we must not forget that Nakashima reached the QF of this tournament in the 2024 season as well, while Eubanks never went past the first round in Houston before. Considering all these aspects and keeping their playing styles in mind, Nakashima seems to have an upper hand on this surface.
The 6ft 7 inches tall Christopher Eubanks is known for his aggressive, serve-and-forehand style of play. He has lethal serves in his arsenal, and he can also finish points at the net with volleys or overheads. Eubanks also has an incredible return game.
Will these trouble B-Nak? Probably not! Brandon Nakashima is a versatile player with a well-balanced game backed by a strong serve and return. He is more of a baseline player, and his game usually consists of powerful and flat strokes.
Nakashima also has an excellent court coverage ability and a lethal double-handed backhand. It would be really tough for Eubanks to break the youngster this time around. The prediction is for Nakashima to win the match in straight sets.
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