By Scoop Malinowski
I believe it is Grigor Dimitrov’s time to finally win his first major. He’s suffered enough and paid his dues and now the time has come to take the throne and wear the crown.
I see a change in Dimitrov’s court demeanor. Previously he was the nice guy who played tennis as if he was wearing a top hat and tuxedo, reluctant to get down and dirty, hesitant to summon his “crazed dogs” mentality, a term famously uttered by the great New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
To win a major, your first major, in this day and age with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, three serial career killers on the loose, you have to be a crazed dog. Dimitrov is showing his crazed dog side now. He’s showing new emotions now, that show he’s sick and tired of being a second and third banana, he really REALLY REALLY wants it NOW.
You can see the fury, passion and burning desire in his body language and expressions. Dimitrov is playing with snarl and he’s at a new level now, making those crazed facial expressions, fist pumps and roaring like a lion, the king of the jungle roars. After all those years Dimitrov has finally found his BEAST MODE and now he’s getting down and dirty and showing a junkyard dog tenacity, ferocity and viciousness.
He’s ready to kick the door down and do a home invasion on Rod Laver Arena and if Fed, Nole and Rafa get in his way they are going to be, with malicious intentions, eliminated.
The time has finally come. It’s Grigor Dimitrov’s time now and nothing is gonna stop him in Melbourne.
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What the man said after beating Nick Kyrgios in four sets 76 76 46 76…
Q. What did you learn about yourself tonight?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: About myself? That’s a fair question. I mean, I learned that I can, you know, I can switch to another gear when I really need it. I think this is something that I have been struggling obviously this tournament. The first couple of rounds or even the three first rounds I was not striking the ball well. I know that, but I was still clutch on the important moments, which was good.
But today I was just able to overtake my game completely differently, having a high percentage in the first serve, high percentage on the return. Being able to play my game a little bit more, counting a little bit more on my strongest weapons, and, yeah, I think that was a good step forward for me.
Q. Deep in the tournament, you used to play fellow experienced players, but today Nick and the next match Kyle. Now you’re playing against this upcoming, rather young player. When you’re facing those young players, do you have a different set of mind when you’re playing them? Is there other young players you’re paying attention to these days?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I’m watching a lot of tennis and matches, even juniors sometimes. You need to be aware of what’s coming, what’s coming at you. Of course it’s going to be another wave of, like, young players coming over.
I don’t even consider anymore Nick and all these guys, like, the young, young. We’re pretty much the same age. That doesn’t matter. As I said, some people mature early. Some people develop their game early or develop physically early, so there is just so many different opponents that are playing out there.
I just look at it as another match, as I said before. This is the main thing for me is to really focus on myself. Whoever I play, it’s, for me, it’s to win the match. It’s simple.
Chazz · January 21, 2018 at 5:16 pm
Yes! I called it before the tournament and want to see it happen!
Scoop Malinowski · January 21, 2018 at 5:55 pm
The snarl is there now in Dimitrov and he beat arguably the hottest player in the draw. Kyrgios was playing the best tennis of his life, better than when he beat Fed and Rafa IMO. Dimitrov will gain a lot of confidence from this win.
Andrew Miller · January 22, 2018 at 10:59 am
Ummmm.
catherine · January 23, 2018 at 2:13 am
Ummmm indeed – didn’t turn out quite that way 🙂
Michael in UK · January 23, 2018 at 6:37 am
The beauty of sport, there is no script.