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Dazzling Dimitrov Sets Up Brisbane Final Versus Murray
13 Comments · Posted by Staff in Articles
By Jayita Belcourt and Louise Belcourt
Bulgarian, Grigor Dimitrov, has reached his first ever final after a tightly contested 6-3 5-7 7-6 (5) win over Marcos Baghdatis at the Brisbane International today. Dimitrov, the ATP world number 48, has the unenviable task of taking on the tournament’s top seed and world number 3, Andy Murray after Murray’s semi-final opponent Kei Nishikori withdrew with a left knee injury whilst trailing 6-4 2-0.
On route to the final, Dimitrov upset higher ranked opponents including the world number 13 Milos Raonic and world number 30 Jurgen Melzer.
Today, Dimitrov showed his variety of shots and cool composure to hold out the feisty Cypriot winning the final set tie-breaker 7-5. But the match was not without its controversy.
At 2-2 in the final set tie-breaker Baghdatis earned a time violation before his first serve, resulting in a second serve, then immediately losing the next 2 points to trail 2-4. Baghdatis then edged back to equalise at 4-4 before Dimitrov hit an incredible forehand line winner off a first serve to go up 5-4. Up 6-5, fittingly Dimitrov finished off the match with a strong serve.
At 21, Dimitrov is the youngest player in the world to climb into the ATP top 50. There has been hype for years that he could become the “next†Roger Federer. With comparisons made to his one handed backhand, feisty forehand and sharp eye, can the young gun live up to expectations for tomorrow’s showdown against the feisty Scotsman?
Dimitrov spoke at length today after his stunning victory and openly shared his thoughts about facing Andy Murray in the Finals. He also gave insights about his new coaching arrangements, career aspirations and his philosophy to tennis.
Talk about playing Murray, if that’s who you play tomorrow?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I played him I think once before. I mean, well, he’s a top guy, of course. I mean, I will be happy to play him, of course. I think my game is good for his standards. I mean, I think it will be a fun match anyway for me. I have nothing to lose tomorrow is the one thing. Whoever I play, I just want to go out there and compose myself and say, Okay, it’s your first final. Don’t be nervous at least. You know, I think it’s going to be a good match. Doesn’t matter who I play. Of course Andy has the advantage. He’s No. 1 seed and he’s been playing well 2012. He had a great season and won his first Grand Slam. He’s not an easy opponent to play.
What particularly will you need to do well to beat him?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think I got to serve better than today, that’s one thing. He’s a tough player overall. He doesn’t give balls away. I mean, I just basically – I don’t have to play bad tennis at all and unforced errors and just try to make everything, you know - try to use every opportunity that he gives me, if there is one. I think he’s also a great sever, a great returner, so I think everything in the game is gonna be very tough to play against him. I mean, if I can sink some moments into the match, that will be great for me.
Talk a little bit about you made a big decision at the end of last year to go with a new coaching team, and you went to Sweden and spent your time there training. Why did you make that decision, and why did you feel it was necessary for you going into this season?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I spent quite a few years in France. I think the time that I was there, I think it was the appropriate time for me to be there. I mean, it was a great four years. I experienced a lot of things. I learned a lot of things. I had a couple of very good coaches before that. But think there is a time in life when you want to find the best way for you and improve in what you do. I mean, the years are rolling and you don’t want be stuck at a certain spot, so you got to try things until you actually find the right formula for it. I felt it was time for me to change and experience something new. Of course, that gave me fresh air and I spend the last six, seven weeks in Sweden. So that was something new for me. Of course there are awesome guys out there at their academy, Good to Great. They’ve been more than supportive over this five, six weeks that we prepared out there. I mean, it’s tough conditions, but afterwards, I mean, everything will be to show up on court, of course.
What do you see as the biggest benefit you’ve gained with a new coach?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think we have made it work overall. I think on the fitness side and the movement and I think just basic endurance on and off the court. We were hitting tons of balls a day, just hitting and hitting and hitting until actually you don’t want to hit anymore. It wasn’t much fun, I can tell you that. Then after, when I came here, I saw the sun for the first time in six weeks, I felt rejuvenated. I said, Might as well stay an extra week, you know. No, but I think it’s a great team, great atmosphere overall. They all know what it takes to be out there. All of those three guys (Magnus Norman, Niklas Kulti & Mikael Tillstrom) been out there and been top guys and gone through certain stages of their life, and you can definitely learn a lot from that.
Did you feel stale under the old setup, or did you just think it was time to change, to sort of move into the next phase of your career?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, probably. I felt that, you know, also it was good time for everything, I have to say, for me. Like to live somewhere else, to change the environment, and everything that I’ve been doing for the past years. So it was of course not an easy step to make. I mean, everything is new. It’s not easy. So I tried to just have it as a good sign and just go on from there.
Have you set yourself a rankings goal for this year?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: For this year, I was thinking just come here and play and then I will see. But now that I got to the final, I’m certainly going to have something to look forward to in 2013. The higher the ranking the better it is. But to me, the most important is first to stay healthy and just play my best at the slams. Of course these tournaments are always nice to play, and if you get to the semis, finals, it’s great for you. Then you eventually become a better player, and in general you set yourself higher goals. But for the moment I’m just going, I mean, week by week for now to really establish myself this year, 2013, on the tour, and then, yeah, run for the rest.
You been talked about as a player with enormous potential for three years now. Do you think you’ve come close to reaching your potential?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: No, not yet. Of course I been showing here and there matches that I played, well, outrageous tennis, and I’ve had matches where I felt like, Okay, I go on court and everything is on. But you have these matches four or five times a year. That doesn’t make you any better player. I think talent doesn’t win matches. I tried to understand all that quite early, because of course there are expectations, everyone compares you, whatever, and these kind of things. But in the end it’s the good part in tennis because everything is in your hands. You got to do it. If you want to be out there, you got to go get it from the bottom. If there is a place to do it, well, find it.
People said at one point Roger Federer like (comparison wise). Did you think that was a lot to live up to, and was that weighing you down at all do you think?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Weighing me down? What for? No, not at all. Total opposite. People can judge anyway, right? Again, Roger is Roger, I’m me.
When you set your goals for 2013, where did reaching a final come on the list?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: First week. (Smiling.)
What about winning a final? Where is that on the list?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: First week. Well, definitely, I mean, even before that we were joking with our team. We said, Okay, first week we go to the final, and then, yeah, then we see how we going to do it. We were actually pretty serious about it, and now that it happened, I was in the locker room and my coach was like, Well, I told you so. I was like, Yeah, right, easy for you to say. I mean, definitely every tournament I play of course I want to be in the final. But, I mean, every day you don’t wake up good and say, Okay, I feel 100% and let’s go on court. If you’re able to manage to go through these days, I think eventually you get that flair that, Okay, I’m on a roll. So that’s fun.
Dimitrov demonstrating "Outrageous tennis"
Scoop Malinowski · January 5, 2013 at 5:37 pm
It’s great to see Dimitrov out of the gate so well this year. He is undeniably a great player and on his way to big things. And he is super nice too, I Biofiled him three years ago at US Open qualies and he is one of those so nice that you instantly become a fan of him Plus he’s a tremendous fighter on court and winning means everything to him. I really hope he can win this final and do some big damage in Melbourne. Just a matter of time for Dimitrov, who I heard is dating Sharapova.
Dan Markowitz · January 5, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Too bad about, Kei. I saw he was up 2-0 on Murray in first set, but Kei has injury problems and I guessed they reared their ugly head.
Wasn’t Raonic and Harrison both Top 50 before Dmitrov?
Scoop Malinowski · January 5, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Kei was up 4-1 in the first set but lost 7 straight games. Seemed like the injury was caused by losing. Murray is much physically stronger than Kei, it’s like a HWT vs. a middleweight. Kei will be top 5 someday IMO. Said this after seeing him win Delray final vs. Blake. he is a super talent. Raonic is like a year or two older than Dimitrov.
Steve · January 5, 2013 at 8:58 pm
HA, ha, ha, ha. Scoop, you can’t predict Kei, Goffin, Dolgo, Baker all to be top 5. There will be no room for Fed & Djoker. & Murray & Rafa… 🙂
Hopefully Dimitrov can get it done tomorrow. Look for the Scot to start limping around if he gets behind.
Can one of you crack journos get an interview with Soderling? He’s a player that totally changes a slam. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.
Dan Markowitz · January 6, 2013 at 6:20 am
Steve, the only way you can interview with Soddy is to go to Sweden. And I for one, will go just to hang out with my good, fellow Swedes, but it’s like 5 degrees over there.
No, seriously, interesting to see that Dmitrov left Serena’s coach and boyfriend to go train in Sweden with a team of Norman and Kulti. I guess they worked him over pretty hard because he said he didn’t see the light of day until he got to Australia. Imagine going to Sweden instead of some warm-weather port to train for tennis.
I was in a table tennis tournament with a guy who works for the USTA (placed second, actually took a pong lesson the night before at this great club in Pleasantville, NY, and do you know, you never cross your feet in pong, you just shuffle side to side and hit everything with an open stance), a pretty-higher up, and he told me that a guy like PMac gets $350,000 base salary, more for bonuses, and with his ESPN obligations, he doesn’t work full-time. Higueras gets slightly less. They’re paying a fortune to these USTA coaches and so far, with the exception of Stephens (although I liked seeing my first glimpse of Hampton against Radwanska), what has the USTA produced? Certainly, zippo on the men’s side since Harrison and Sock didn’t come through the USTA program.
Maybe we should just send outsource our best juniors to places like Sweden and Spain, and help the economies over there.
Scoop Malinowski · January 6, 2013 at 7:42 am
I will talk with Bjorkman and Johansson in Miami and ask them what’s up with Soderling. They’re in the loop on the Swedish players, they told me two years ago Joachim Johansson was healthy and fit but to their bewilderment, just didn’t want to compete, even in Davis Cup. THe Pim Pim and Sod situations are very very peculiar. Mono case for two years and after a lifetime of training and working at tennis, now just doens’t want to play his prime years as an athlete. Go figure.
Steve · January 6, 2013 at 10:28 am
Scoop, why do you think Kei is better than say, Seppi???
Scoop Malinowski · January 6, 2013 at 6:29 pm
Steve, I think Kei is a better, smarter player than Seppi and his results prove it. It took Seppi until 2011 to win his first title (Eastbourne). It took Seppi the age 0f 28 to reach his career high ranking of #21. Nishikori was his first title at 18 in Delray and he reached #15 (his best rank) last Oct. at age 22. Seppi has 3 titles, Nishikori 2 but Seppi is five years older. At this point it looks like Kei is the better player but of course that can change. I like Kei’s quickness, movement, head and athleticism a bit more than Seppi’s. To me, Kei plays like a smaller Djokovic, very smart, crafty and a very efficient style. And he can do magic on the court – to win his first title in Delray at 18 beating Blake in the final was magical. I think all the great players can pull off magic tricks, though Seppi has some amazing wins also, coming from two sets down vs. Ferrero in Davis Cup, saving MPs vs. Tipsarevic. Seppi is an excellent player too, he just keeps climbing the rankings every year But I just think Kei is a little better.
Steve · January 6, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Okay. I’ll have to look closer at his game.
Right now, to me, they have essentially the same game. Steady backhands, no crushing weapon. Consistency.
Steve · January 6, 2013 at 8:05 pm
It’s been a week of hyped up players. Not since Gulbis many years ago have I seen such hype.
Scoop Malinowski · January 7, 2013 at 9:31 am
Steve I think tennis fans might be getting a little tired of the same old same old fantastic four, people want to see a new champion, a new talent bust in and add a new twist to the mix. Someone like Kei, Dimitrov, Raonic, Harrison – but they have been late to deliver. Berdych, Monfils, Tsonga, Bag, Gasquet, Gulbis, never did deliver, but maybe Gasquet can.
Mitch · January 7, 2013 at 11:01 am
Kei is too injury prone to make it into the top 5, in my opinion. He can and has put up big wins at the slams, but it seems like he’s too fragile to repeatedly hang with the big boys in best of five set matches. I hope he proves me wrong though.
Scoop Malinowski · January 7, 2013 at 11:20 am
Mitch, doens’t it seem a number of young players look fragile and injury prone, like Djokovic and Murray, then all the sudden, they figure out how to optimize fitness and they get stronger, and then they are like Supermen. Maybe hopefully Kei will find that kei, pun intended.