Grigor Dimitrov is definitely one of the favorites to win the ATP1000 in Cincinnati after 8 top10 players are already out for different reasons.

Grigor had a tough test in the 3rd round when he had to face Juan Martin Del Potro that is always a terrible floater; furthermore, the match had to be played during the day is extremely hot conditions.

Grigor started the contest strong with a fast 3-0 lead that was decisive to win the first set (6-3). The second set was much trickier for the Bulgarian that had to recover a from a 1-4 deficit before conquering 6 of the following 7 games.

Dimitrov won this match with a 6-3 7-5 scoreline in 1 hour and 39 minutes.

I had to stay away from his forehand. DIMITROV

In the post-match press conference, Grigor commented

“He’s a tricky opponent, a super-experienced player. I definitely had to stay away a little bit from that forehand. I knew if I keep the ball low on his backhand side and just kind of work my way into the court, it would have been the right thing to do. I think I did this thing very, very well today.

The short slice really made him very uncomfortable, and he was giving me a lot of short balls, so I could start moving him with my forehand. It was also a bit of a mind game, because we know our game pretty well.”

Next vs. Sugita

Grigor will face Yuichi Sugita in the quarters. The head to head is 1-0 for the Bulgarian that has a clear shot at the semi-final.