Grigor Dimitrov shied away from the limelight with his unspectacular run. He hasn’t made the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since doing so in the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, recently making a first round exit at Roland Garros. However, the Bulgarian seems to be in good form after his dismantling of Bjorn Fratangelo Monday morning.
Dimitrov now faces Gilles Simon in the second round of Wimbledon, a man he’s struggled to beat in his career. Simon, though, might be a little worse for wear after surviving an upset bid over unseeded Janko Tipsarevic in four sets that took three and a half hours.
Grigor Dimitrov was unseeded and had lost in the first round in his last five tournaments, but the Bulgarian rebounded in a big way by beating American Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the second round of Wimbledon. At his best, Dimitrov has excellent shot-making that has prompted the media to dub him “Baby Fed” comparing him to 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
Dimitrov showcased the same dominant play that had plenty pegging him as the future of tennis. He won 66 percent of his first serve points in the first round and hit 24 winners. The 25-year-old was a top-10 talent just a couple of years ago when he had his best performance on the grandest stages—making the semifinal of the 2014 Wimbledon.
The former boyfriend of Maria Sharapova gave eventual champion Novak Djokovic all he could handle in that semifinal appearance two years ago in a four-set thriller. Dimitrov evened the match out by winning the second set, and then fought valiantly in losing back-to-back tiebreakers to exit the match. Before that, he beat Andy Murray in straight sets in the quarterfinals!
Dimitrov is back on the surface he’s had plenty of success on, which could mean that Baby Fed is ready for a long overdue encore of his 2014 Wimbledon run.
Gilles Simon is coming off a four-set victory over Janko Tipsarevic in the first round of Wimbledon, a match that lasted three and a half hours. He struggled, but he should be ready and confident heading into this match considering his lifetime record against Grigor Dimitrov. The Frenchman has won five of six head-to-head meetings between the two men.
A quarterfinalist of last year’s Wimbledon, Simon may be in for a rough outing especially if he underestimates his Bulgarian opponent. He hasn’t been at his best, hitting more unforced errors (38) than he did winners (27) in his first-round victory. That was even against an unheralded opponent; what more when he faces a former top-10 player?
Simon could take heart to the fact that he’s beaten Dimitrov in their two meetings on grass, straight sets victories in the 2012 Olympics and the 2009 Aegon Championship. His serve was brutal, winning 82 percent of his first serve points. He even won 5 of 7 break point opportunities, showcasing a complete overall game.
Writer’s Prediction
Simon struggles with his form, giving Dimitrov a chance to shine. Dimitrov (EVEN) wins in four sets as he sets his sights toward a deep tournament run.
