The Australian Open is over, and now it’s time to shift our focus from Melbourne to Montpellier for the 2025 Open Occitanie. America’s Christopher Eubanks is all set to face Russia’s Alibek Kachmazov in the R32. Christopher Eubanks had a decent season, he made quite a few long runs and even made his Olympic debut last year. However, the 28-year-old American failed to clinch a title in the 2024 season. His opponent in this match has already played a couple of matches in this tournament. Can Kachmazov keep his winning run intact and upset the American in this enticing encounter?

Christopher Eubanks vs Alibek Kachmazov: Preview

If we take a look at Christopher Eubanks’ performances in the past twelve months, he reached the QF of the 2024 Halle Open and then went on to make it to the semis at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. However, over there in the SF, he was defeated by his compatriot Marcos Giron in three sets. After that, Christopher Eubanks made some impressive runs in the Challenger events, but his most successful result came at the Challenger Knoxville, US where he defeated Learner Tien (USA) by 7-5,7-6(9). In 2025, he made it to the QF of the Challenger Canberra, AU but he failed to qualify for the 2025 AO. Eubanks is entering this contest following his early exit from the Challenger Oeiras III, PT at the hands of Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama.

On the other hand, Alibek Kachmazov made his ATP main draw debut at the 2019 Kremlin Cup. He is considered one of the brightest prospects in men’s tennis and guess what? Kachamazov has already shown a glimpse of his capabilities in the previous season. He mostly played in the Challenger events last season. Alibek Kachmazov also reached the final of the ITF France F4 in 2024. This 22-year-old Russian also made it to the SF at the Chengdu Open, but he was defeated by Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti by 4-6,2-6. He looks in good form in this tournament. Kachmazov’s first match in the qualifiers was cut short at 6-3,4-0 due to the withdrawal of his opponent Alejandro Moro Canas. However, he showcased a fair bit of grit in the next. Alibek Kachmazov defeated France’s Hugo Grenier in his previous match.

Eubanks vs Kachmazov: Head-to-Head

It’s experience versus youth! They’re yet to face each other, so currently, their H2H scoreline is at 0-0. Alibek Kachmazov may not have the experience of playing against some big names on the main Tour, but we’re already quite aware of his potential. So, Christopher Eubanks needs to be on his toes all the time in this epic battle to stop the young Russian from causing some massive upset in this iconic tennis event. Can Eubanks seal the deal in the first match?

Prediction: Eubanks will win in three sets

Both the players will be keen to make a longer stay in Montpellier. With Alibek Kachmazov already clinching two wins in this tournament, we’re expecting him to give a tough against the American on this surface. Talking about surface, well the courts in Montpellier are not particularly fast as compared to the standards of other indoor European hard courts. Still, Kachmazov needs to be a bit wary of Christopher Eubanks’ biggest weapon. What is his biggest weapon, though?

Christopher Eubanks’ serve is a formidable weapon on any indoor court! The 6ft 7 inches American is known for his big serves. Eubanks is more of an aggressive player who loves going to the nets whenever he can to steal points from his opponents. His strong serve often fetches him a lot of points during the matches. Apart from that, Alibek Kachmazov also needs to watch out for his incredible returns. 

On the other hand, Kachmazov loves playing on the hard courts. He’s known for his speed and agility on the court. His rapid rise in the men’s Tour has now made him the talk of the town in the tennis world. It’ll be key for him to start the match on the front foot against someone like Eubanks.

Christopher Eubanks (111) had a win-loss record of 11-18 in the 2024 season, while Alibek Kachmazov (199) had a record of just 22-22 in the Challengers. So, considering all these factors, we expect this match to go a little deeper, but Christopher Eubanks is most likely the favorite in this contest.