Chris Eubanks loses Wimbledon opener to qualifier Quentin Halys, to fall outside Top 125

Twelve months ago at Wimbledon, Chris Eubanks was the last American man standing. The Atlanta native had followed up winning his maiden ATP title in Mallorca with a mesmorizing trip to the quarterfinals that included knocking off fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Unable to recapture the magic coming into the All England Club, Eubanks dropped his opener Wednesday to qualifier Quentin Halys, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

It’s a tough reversal of fortune for the 28-year-old, who was ranked No. 45 following Roland Garros and is now projected to fall outside the Top 125 after going 2-4 during the grass-court swing.

Halys owned the contest from the start. Among the numbers on his stat sheet: 17 aces, zero break points faced, a +27 differential in winners to unforced errors and sparkling 40 for 42 success rate on first-serve points.

The Frenchman did not play any grass events leading into his qualifying bid at the London major. Sitting at No. 220 in the latest rankings, Halys, like Eubanks, has important points to protect after reaching the third round in 2023. Five of his 27 career tour-level wins have now come on the surface.

For a chance to match last year’s showing, Halys awaits No. 21 seed Karen Khachanov or Aslan Karatsev.

Brandon Nakashima booked his place in the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jordan Thompson. Two years ago, the San Diego native advanced to the round of 16 here.

His countrywoman Katie Volynets secured her first main-draw win at SW19. The qualifier from Walnut Creek, Calif. defeated Maria Lourdes Carle, 6-2, 7-5.