He may not have been the early bloomer everyone expected, but Grigor Dimitrov is quickly emerging as a top contestant for the big prizes in men's tennis. Already this year, the Bulgarian got his Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open—where he reached his first major quarterfinal—plus he now won his second career title in Acapulco.
The man responsible for his sudden awakening seems to be his new coach, Australian Roger Rasheed, whom he started working with in October 2013. The move paid off immediately, Dimitrov claiming his maiden trophy in Stockholm, the home of former coach, Magnus Norman, just a few weeks after.
In Acapulco, Dimitrov showed nerves of steel, withstanding the aggressive challenge of reigning Wimbledon champion, Andy Murray, to win their semifinal clash 4-6,7-6,7-6. It's true that the Brit is still recovering from the back surgery he underwent last fall, but I was really impressed by how well Grigor coped with the pressure. He refused to give in and eventually closed out one of the biggest victories of his career. Even more impressive was the follow up. In the final against Kevin Anderson, the young gun once more put on a feisty performance to deny the South African 7-6,3-6,7-6 and seal the crown. "I didn't think I was going to come back after last night's match. I'm really happy. This title means a lot to me," said the excited Grigor. "Every match I played was really tough, especially the last three where I played three sets."
As a result of the great week, Dimitrov will crack the top 20 for the first time, peaking at No.16 on Monday. It might take a few more months, but I am confident we are looking at a future top 10 player, potentially even a top 5-er.
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| Dimitrov stunned second seeded Andy Murray 4-6,7-6,7-6 in one of the biggest wins of his career. |
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| In the final, the young Bulgarian withstood a stiff challenge from South African Kevin Anderson to win 7-6,3-6,7-6. The Bulgarian claimed his second ATP title. |
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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