Lob and Smash
Fansided

ATP World Tour: Can Grigor Dimitrov close 2017 out in style?

By Maxwell Ogden

BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 04: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria reacts after losing the point against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during the Men's singles second round on day five of 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 4, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 04: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria reacts after losing the point against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during the Men's singles second round on day five of 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 4, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Grigor Dimitrov suffered an early exit from the 2017 US Open. Can he rebound by closing 2017 out in style and building momentum for the 2018 season?

Entering the 2017 US Open, Grigor Dimitrov was viewed as one of the favorites to make a deep run. With some of the top stars on the ATP World Tour sidelined or hampered by injuries, and a career-best performances building momentum, Dimitrov inspired faith in the masses.

Unfortunately, Dimitrov’s run at the US Open ended early when he fell 5-7, 6-7 (3-7), 3-6 to breakout star Andrey Rublev in the second round.

Although the result at the US Open was disappointing, not all hope has been lost. The 26-year-old has put together a strong season in 2017, and he’ll have a chance to redeem himself in the months that follow.

That process has begun at the China Open in Beijing, where Dimitrov has punched his ticket for a quarterfinals matchup with Roberto Bautista Agut.

Dimitrov’s victory in the Round of 16 is one that could prove to be more significant than one might believe at first glance.

Dimitrov won a slugfest of a match against Juan Martin del Potro. Del Potro is admittedly coming off of an injury that forced him to miss the Laver Cup, but he’s also fresh off of a run to the semifinals at the US Open.

The fact that Dimitrov was able to defeat the former US Open champion in such a competitive match should work wonders for his confidence.

The fact that he won a Round of 16 clash with the red-hot Damir Dzumhur, who upset Alexander Zverev at the Shenzhen Open and won the St. Petersburg Open, doesn’t hurt, either.

Grigor Dimitrov has certainly pieced together a strong year himself. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, won his first career Masters 1000 title, and made a solid run to the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The question is: Can the Bulgarian star make another leap towards the ranks of the elite by closing out the 2017 season in style?

Must Read: Is major scheduling reform needed on the ATP World Tour?

So far, the No. 8 overall player in the world is looking confident and in top form.

Home/ATP