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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Dimitrov should fancy his chances against this Berdych but then again Dimitrov is in a slump of his own so no clear favorites in their QF.
I noticed one thing after watching this picture Zverev is almost as tall as Berdych, not the ideal height for a tennis player, therefore even when he develops into a better player movement wont be his strength.
I dksagrre about A.Zverev. He’s 6′ 6″ now and may grow taller but he does move well for his height.
What I like about him is his easy power from both wings. He also has a good serve and dares to venture to the net and hits some nice volleys. He hits a bit like Delpo with that easy power from the baseline but moves better than Delpo.
He’s normally playing with controlled aggression and not going for broke, unless of course he loses his temper being that young and sometimes couldnt control it.
Berdych seems to be a fanboy of his
Of course you have a right to disagree, Zverev is a decent player but 6 feet 6 is not the ideal height for tennis. There have been good players who were/are 6-6 e.g. Cilic, Del Potro but they haven’t really grown into great ones. That’s why weight of history is stacked against Zverev.
I don’t know for sure of course but it seems tennis players are getting taller these days. Kygrios is 6’4 or 6’5, Tomic too. The slightly older ones like Raonic is 6’5, Jerzy is 6’8. Maybe by the time Zverev matures as a tennis player, his peers and those younger than him are all of that height or thereabout so no disadvange to him where movement is concerned.
Yes but with the possible exception of Kyrgios the other players you have mentioned don’t have major winning potential. I do agree that tennis players are getting taller but the very tall players always turn out to be good and not great (Raonic, Berdych, Del Potro, Cilic etc. Del Potro was the best of the tall bunch but he has struggled a lot with injuries, before them there was Mario Ancic who was 6 feet 5 . The best players are always 6 feet 1 or perhaps 6 feet 2 max ( Pete Fed, Rafa, Nole) 6 feet 6 is great for basketball not tennis.
Isner, Karlovic, Janowicz and to a lesser extent Anderson always struggle with return of serve.
There was also Ivan Ljubicic who had a good career
Dimitrov vs Berdych match has started Dimi serving first.
Good hold for Dimi
easy hold for Berdych 1-1
Dimitrov struggled but eventually holds
Dimitrov is really struggling on the Berdych serve Berdych holds at love
Dimi with another solid hold
Berdych holds to love yet again
Dimitrov with a comfortable hold for a 4-3 lead
Dimi had 0-30 on the Berdych serve but 1 big serve from Berd followed by a poor return by Dimi makes it 30-30 then Berdych wins an extended baseline exchange to move to game point and he wins 4 straight points to hold. 4-4
this is Berdychs to lose
is there any reason why Dimitrov plays so poorly so often?
Yes
Dimitrov saves a Bp with some good tennis and then holds with an ace 5-4
Berdych with a great winner followed by a poor approach shot by Dimitrov and Berdych passes him easily results in 2 bps for Berdych Dimitrov saves 1 with a serve but he cant save the 2nd as Berdych deservedly breaks and will now serve for the set.
“deservedly”
set point to Berdych and despite missing a lot of first serves while serving for the set Berdych takes the first set 7-5
Trivia: Who is the only 6’4″ or taller player to win more than one slam?
Safin
I asked you is there a reason why Dimitrov plays so poorly so often you said yes but You didn’t tell me the reason.
oh. I didnt think it required explanation….
Right!
Seems like 6’3″ is the cut-off for the great players to date like Becker who won 6.
Ideal height seems to be 6’1″ to 6’2″ (Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Courier for example) at least in the last 30 years.
Djokovic is also 6 feet 2 I posted the same thing today.
Not anymore it isnt, i dont think
Yes I actually meant to include Djokovic but forgot!
We won’t know for some time to come if that has changed.