Dimitrov “Shattered” by Australian Open Exit but Optimistic of Future Collaboration With New Coach

By Jayita A Belcourt

An emotional Grigor Dimitrov was ejected from the Australian Open in four sets 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 last week after a hard-fought battle with world no.1 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. In a match that was never short of excitement, the 21 year old was teary-eyed as he walked away from the court in disbelief as his magic string of runs had finally come to an end, all too soon. Hoping to reach his first ever major semi-final, it was a hard loss for the promising youngster who marginally went down to the Spaniard after clinching the first set in spectacular form.

“I’m a bit shattered. It’s tough losing that match, my first quarterfinal. I came out expecting nothing less than to win.” “Of course I shed a few tears, but it should hurt. And it does hurt.”

Understandably, Grigor has every right to be heart-broken. It is not too often that players find themselves with the upper hand when sparring against the man with 13 major titles to his name. Ultimately – the match would hinge on two tie-breaks, with the Spaniard prevailing in both despite Grigor being up 6-5 in the third set tie-break.

“What can I say? It hurts,” a choked up Grigor muttered in his post-match press conference.

Surprisingly optimistic, the slender Bulgarian is able to see the match from all angles. “You know, I’m happy that I took the decision, one you take decision, never look back. Same thing in life: you make mistakes, you make mistakes, and it’s in the past. Obviously I got to put that in the past… I’m sure I could have done something different… But in a match everything comes down to a split of a second. You know, it’s whether it’s in or out.”

For team Dimitrov, it is a promising start to a partnership that began just four months ago when Roger Rasheed took over the coaching reigns for the world number 22. Before the two joined forces, Dimitrov had earned himself a reputation as “Baby Federer” for his impressive backhand shots and sassy play, but had failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final despite 13 attempts. He was also without out any titles to his name, until he won his first ATP title at Stockholm in October last year under the guidance of his new coach.

“It’s nice to pair up with him and it was nice to start our relationship with a tournament win. That’s new for me. We were just trying to be really basic, focus on what we have to work on against my opponents,” Dimitrov was quoted to have said after his maiden ATP win.

From the moment the two began working together, the message from Rasheed, who formally coached the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, was loud and clear – things have to change.

At the 2014 Coaches Conference in Melbourne, only days before the Australian Open kicked off, Rasheed joked about all the pruning that had been required. First of all it was the pink attire that Dimitrov loved to wear. There was to be no more of that. Instead, Rasheed wanted the Bulgarian to wear more dominant and aggressive colours – deep reds or bright greens. Second of all was his body itself. To put it bluntly, there was to be no more “pin stick” legs. Rasheed wanted the 21 year old beefed up and looking tough. So with a grueling off-season, Dimitrov was forced to work hard at the gym, often going a week without any outside intervention – albeit massages or physio. All aimed at ironing out any lacklustre will or signs of weakness.

More importantly, Rasheed addressed what was perhaps Dimitrov’s greatest downfall to date – his talent. Rasheed reinfored this point by sharing how Dimitrov was frequently featured in many post tournament highlights for his explosive shots and impressive on-court movement. Unfortunately, not for his wins.

“He had no idea how to use his full capabilities”, the brash Australian coach insightfully shared.

And perhaps true indeed. For whilst the Bulgarian is naturally athletic and showcases some of the most refined on-court techniques, with a backhand strikingly similar to former no.1 Roger Federer, it was all too often without avail. Bringing a more refined game plan to the deck, Rasheed believes he is guiding the gifted youngster in a new direction.

“He [Dimitrov] used to do a lot of risk taking… He has to know when to pull which trick out of the bag,” Rasheed elaborated.

It seems Dimitrov is impressed with the new collaboration. Describing it as a “work in progress”, the 21 year old believes Rasheed is giving him the edge he needs to take his game to the next level.

“It’s a good sign that he’s someone who is going to push me around and we’ll have that mutual respect. But at the same time, he’s going to be tough but fair, which I think is important,” the boyfriend of Maria Sharapova said.

”I’m starting to find my way around a bit better in terms of preparing before a grand slam and finding the right formula to get out there and play a good match”. “’There are a lot of things to come and we both believe in it. It’s exciting times ahead.”

Exciting indeed. Just ask world no.1 Rafael Nadal.

“He [Dimitrov] has everything to become a great champion,” the ecstatic 26 year old said after securing his seat in the semi-finals.

So whilst the 21 year old couldn’t oust the world’s no.1 from his tracks at this year’s Australian Open, I believe it is a promising start for this rising star. No longer the new kid on the block, I expect to see a lot more of Grigor Dimitrov in the upcoming Grand Slams quarters and beyond.

Rasheed making major changes to Dimitrov's mentality

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