The 35-year-old, 19-year pro advanced after a come-from-behind win over no. 43 Daniel Evans, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. The edge in experience definitely played a part, but luck was also on his side, as Evans suffered stomach cramps following the opening set victory.
Despite being listed all the way down to the 274th spot in the world rankings, while only mustering a 5-8 record on the clay this year, Robredo could still be seen as a tough underdog. He owns a good amount of championship hardwood and some respectable stats overall. He boasts 11 ATP titles on a clay surface and has a 66.7 percent winning percentage on such courts.
Topping all of that nicely is his 3-1 career record against Grigor Dimitrov. He has beaten him twice on the clay, one was this past April at the Grand Prix Hassan II, where he came back from a one-set deficit, and the other was a straight sets domination at the 2013 Barcelona Open.
World no. 13 Grigor Dimitrov moved on after beating no. 114 Stephane Robert in the opening round, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. The straight sets win is still a little misguiding, though, as “Dimi” was up-and-down for most of the match, and needed to dig deep to earn the commanding W over a beaten down, 37-year-old player.
Nevertheless, it was a much-needed victory that could help build some confidence, since he isn’t having his best year on the clay. The Bulgarian is only 3-4 on such surface this season and 51-36 all-time (.586), with clay court ATP title (2014 Bucharest Open). Such record on a particular court is a bit off for an elite-ranked player, hence the moneyline not being too lopsided despite the 261-spot difference in the rankings.
Dimitrov has an advantage in speed and power, and he wouldn’t be listed no. 13 overall for nothing. However, his recent struggles and two losses to Robredo is a definite pressure that’s probably on the back of his mind.
