Young hope Grigor Dimitrov proved worthy of the Roger Federer comparison, stunning world number 1, Novak Djokovic, in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
The talented Dimitrov has put together a pretty solid year so far, but for me his most noteworthy performance came against Nadal in Monte Carlo. I always believed that one of the toughest tests in tennis is to beat the Spaniard on his beloved red dirt. The Bulgarian came close to achieving this feat, though bad cramps got in his way. Although he lost 4-6 in the decider, he pushed Nadal to his limits, giving the Spaniard a run for his money.
Riding on some good form, Grigor was ready to take the ultimate step and get one of those big wins under his belt. Having let world number 1, Novak Djokovic, off the hook in Indian Wells, he got a chance at revenge in Madrid, where the duo clashed in the second round. It was a sensational match for Dimitrov, who, even though was pegged back constantly, eventually found a way to close out his first victory over a reigning No.1. After taking a vital opening set, the young gun lost a nail-biting second act after squandering a match point. With his opponent battling severe cramps once again, Djokovic, who recently ended Nadal's eight year reign in Monte Carlo, looked poised to take the win. An early break though turned the momentum in Dimitrov's favour. The Bulgarian held his nerve and went on to serve out the match.
"Of course this has been what I've been working for, to play matches like that, and why not win them?" Dimitrov said. "Today was one of these days that I felt good on court. I felt I had enough hours of practice in the weeks before. I felt that I could actually hang with Novak the whole match. That's the whole purpose of getting ready for big events and eventually for big matches."
I think this guy has so much potential that hopefully we'll see his shine brightly very soon. Like Federer, he could be another late bloomer, but as the all time great, once he gets the ball rolling it could be very difficult for anyone to stop him.
"Of course this has been what I've been working for, to play matches like that, and why not win them?" Dimitrov said. "Today was one of these days that I felt good on court. I felt I had enough hours of practice in the weeks before. I felt that I could actually hang with Novak the whole match. That's the whole purpose of getting ready for big events and eventually for big matches."
I think this guy has so much potential that hopefully we'll see his shine brightly very soon. Like Federer, he could be another late bloomer, but as the all time great, once he gets the ball rolling it could be very difficult for anyone to stop him.
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| Talented Grigor Dimitrov scored the biggest win of his career by stunning world number 1, Novak Djokovic, 7-6,6-7,6-3 to move into the third round of the Madrid Masters. |
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| The Bulgarian was not afraid of getting down and dirty in order to upset Djokovic. |
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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