Dimitrov finds his groove in Beijing

Oct 05, 2017
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Dimitrov finds his groove in Beijing

The Bulgarian is into the Beijing quarterfinals.

Published Oct 05, 2017

He’s no longer a young prospect, but Grigor Dimitrov is finding his groove as a 26-year-old. His latest big win was a hard-fought comeback over Juan Martin del Potro to advance to the quarterfinals in the China Open.

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The Bulgarian’s solid steadiness is quietly replacing his previous penchant for flashy highlights.

The No. 3 seed will play Roberta Bautista Agut for as spot in the semifinals.

Dimitrov has matured and become a main stay in the Top 10, not to mention earned the respect of the biggest champions in the game. Case in point: Remember his crushing five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals? These days, Dimitrov is bro-ing out with the Spaniard.

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Dimitrov doesn't take everything so seriously either, which helps keep him balanced on tour. He was caught up in the spirit of the China Open player party, and was rewarded with a best-dressed win alongside Petra Kvitova.

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He's certainly become a household name in the tennis world—even his appearance in the Far East has attracted a legion of fans.

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Most importantly, he’s performing better than ever on the court. In August, he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Open. That milestone was a long time coming.

Notably, Dimitrov has moved back up to No. 8 in the rankings, which is his career-high ranking from the summer of 2014. He wants nothing more than to continue his charge to London’s ATP Finals, and he’s almost sure to get there with a few injuries in the Top 10 clearing the way.

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Just how far can the Bulgarian climb in this second phase of his career? If he keeps improving, the world will be at his feet—literally.

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Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyEckstein1