Chris Eubanks earns the win of his life at Wimbledon

WATCH: Chris Eubanks wins his first career title days before Wimbledon, in Mallorca

Confidence and faith. Perhaps more than any single shot, these two abstract concepts can shape a tennis player’s destiny. Or at least they can on a given day. And why not at Wimbledon?

For a vivid example, examine the joy for competition and brilliant execution that defined Chris Eubanks’ 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) second-round victory over 12th-seeded Cam Norrie.

“Biggest win of my career, no question, by far,” said Eubanks. “Considering the moment, considering the stage, who I was playing, where I played him. By far the biggest win of my career.”

“I fought as hard as I could,” said Norrie, who reached the semifinals in SW19 last year. “Yeah, came up against someone who was really confident. He played great. So he definitely deserved to win the match. I told him that. Everything went his way today, and he deserved it.”

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To explore how confidence and faith played out in this match, start with the situation. Here was Eubanks, entering No. 1 Court versus the British No. 1 who last year reached the final four before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

One definition of confidence: belief based on data. What was Eubanks’ data? An opening-round win at Wimbledon—but also, a London trip immediately preceded by a breakthrough result.

Just last week, on grass in Mallorca, Eubanks earned his first ATP Tour singles title. It was an impressive turnaround for someone who, just a few weeks earlier at a Challenger event in Surbiton, England, lost in the second round and at that point began to wonder if grass wasn’t really the best fit for his game. So frustrated was Eubanks on the lawns that he sent a text message of anguish to Kim Clijsters, who offered both emotional support and technical-tactic advice in such areas as footwork and shot selection. Ranked outside the Top 100 up until this April, and 77th prior to Mallorca, Eubanks is now a career-high No. 43.

Then there was Norrie, a fit and formidable lefthander who has willed himself into the elite. While no single Norrie shot would command extensive attention at a teaching conference, the overall impact and quality of his tennis validates the notion of a product being greater than the sum of its parts. Best of all, Norrie is a supreme workhorse, a first-rate problem-solver attuned to movement, tactics and the ability to impose his intelligence and persistence on anyone he plays.

“I can feel the ebbs and flows of the matches in the match,” said Norrie. Prior to today, he’d already played 44 ATP matches this year (32-12), nearly twice as many as Eubanks (13-10). Like Eubanks, Norrie had also earned one tour singles title, this one a 7-5 in the third victory over Carlos Alcaraz on a clay court in Brazil—a very impressive win.

So if one considered confidence and data the sole determinant, the edge swung in Norrie’s direction. But then, what of faith?

Faith: the evidence of things not seen. Or, better yet, for Eubanks, sheer trust and belief in oneself and one’s technique and attendant tactics.

Fitting indeed that the match began and ended with untouchable shots. Eubanks opened with an ace down the T, one of 21 he’d strike. He closed it out with a deft backhand volley, placed delicately into the open court and one of 63 Eubanks winners.

“Going into the match I felt like, you know, you never really know until you get out there. And after the first couple games, I think my second service game I had four aces. At that point I was like, okay, I'm feeling good today.”

In between that declarative sentence of a start and period of a finish, Eubanks over the course of two hours and 30 minutes crafted a masterful synthesis of confidence and faith. Time and again, Eubanks hit shots that severely compromised Norrie. Thunderous serves—Eubanks hit an aforementioned 21 aces, but also won a fantastic 68 percent of second-serve points. Massive forehands—rolled and ripped crosscourt, up-the-line and, on a few key points, inside-in. And, quite pleasing for those who savor the increasingly rare one-handed backhand, a fully coiled swing off that side that also tipped many rallies in Eubanks’ favor.

While the most recent version of all this superb aggression was one of Eubanks’ tennis idols, Roger Federer, the power and stylistic smoothness Eubanks displayed versus Norrie also conjured up memories of such other Wimbledon champions as Pete Sampras, Richard Krajicek and Michael Stich.

Even after he won the second set, Norrie was unable to rattle Eubanks. Starting the third with an easy hold, Eubanks in the next game broke Norrie at love. Not once in that set did he face a break point. On his second set point, Eubanks took the lead with a crosscourt forehand winner. Adept as Norrie is at solving problems, how could he begin to sink his teeth into the match when the racquet was so frequently being taken from his hands?

The power and stylistic smoothness that Federer fan Eubanks displayed also conjured up memories of such other Wimbledon champions as Pete Sampras, Richard Krajicek and Michael Stich.

But as the fourth set began, only a fool would have bet on Eubanks to run away with the match. At 2-2, Norrie earned a love break. Fighting off three break points in the next game, Norrie went ahead 4-2. But then, an inspired Eubanks found another gear. With Norrie serving at 4-3, Eubanks delivered a dazzling three-point sequence: an inside-out forehand winner, a sharply angled forehand volley, then a blistering down-the-line forehand. Two points later, the two were back on serve. At 4-all, Eubanks held at 30. Serving at 4-5, Norrie went down 30-40, but on match point responded brilliantly with a deep forehand that Eubanks netted.

What happened at 6-all proved a drama all its own. With trademark hustle, Norrie captured the first two points.

“Then going into the tiebreak,” said Norrie, “I was feeling good. I felt like the better player.”

But then came the kind of moment that leaves one wondering if the high castle of Wimbledon is also populated by a court jester. Serving into the deuce court at 2-0, Norrie watched a Eubanks backhand return dribble over the net for a winner.

“It would have been nice to win that point,” said Norrie. “I felt like a lot of shots went his way. He was really precise hitting the ball on the line, playing really well.”

Back on serve, Eubanks took charge. With Norrie serving at 3-3, Eubanks snapped off a forehand placement. Mini-break in hand, Eubanks from there won the next three points.

“Credit to him,” said Norrie. “He deserved it.”

“There's no guarantee it's going to happen,” said Eubanks, “but I think in that case, having that level of having faith that it is going to work out, that if I continue to do the right stuff, at some point it's gonna click.”

Eubanks on Saturday will play No. 73 Chris O’Connell, the last Australian in the men’s singles draw. The two have never played one another. With both now one win away from reaching the round of 16 at a major for the first time, each holds hope for yet another positive encounter with confidence, faith—and perhaps even destiny.