As he looks to wrap up a disappointing year on a positive note, Grigor Dimitrov booked a spot in the If Stockholm Open quarterfinals by beating Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday. Dimitrov fired 11 aces without double-faulting, lost only seven points in nine service games, and advanced in just one hour and eight minutes.
The Bulgarian is still a modest 30-19 for the season and he has dipped No. 26 in the world. He will face No. 1 seed Tomas Berdych on Friday.
Berdych, who has already secured a spot in the World Tour Finals, ousted 18-year-old German Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4. The world No. 5 trailed by a break early in the second but recovered to prevail without too much trouble.
[tweet https://twitter.com/stroppadel/status/657246664407822336]
“I’m happy with the way I handled the match, and it’s always helpful to win in straight sets,” Berdych recounted. “There were some ups and downs, but it went well in the end. The conditions were pleasant. I was able to use my experience well to get past a guy with a great future in front of him, and I wish him well.”
[tweet https://twitter.com/stroppadel/status/657257895722156032]
David Ferrer hopes to join Berdych in London and the Spaniard took another step in that effort at the Erste Bank Open on Thursday.
Ferrer crushed countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in only one hour and two minutes. The top seed and world No. 8 struck five aces and zero double-faults, while Garcia-Lopez finished with zero aces and five double-faults. Ferrer will lead all other contenders for the final London spot by more than 1,000 points if he goes on to capture the Vienna title.
Gael Monfils tweener in Vienna:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaolia4Xj0Y]
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on the evidence of what we have seen Berdych deserves his 1 set lead.
Dimitrov with a hold at love to start the 2nd set.
Berdych holds to 15 with some heavy ground strokes and serving.
Dimitrov fends off 2 bps and holds
Berdych saves Bp 2-2 now
4 all
Berdych breaks to 15 and will now serve for the match.
Dimitrov had a bp to make it 5 all but Berdych wins 7-5 6-4
All to often promising young guns fall by the wayside. Dimitrov had too much adulation too soon. And too many distractions in his life. The talent is still there but if he is to realise his potential he needs to get back to the drawing board and put in the hard graft.