Grigor Dimitrov

[DUN I LOVE]

3-1 przeciwko Janko na inaugurację AO. Bułgar poprawił bilans H2H przeciwko Serbowi do 2-4, posyłając na drugą stronę kortu 42 winnery, w tym 18 asów.

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How To Convince Agassi To Be Your Coach

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"Grigor, our problem is more mental than tennis-related. We've been together almost two years. Tennis-wise, you've improved and mentally as well, but now we are in a difficult moment mentally. We should take some time to see what might help. I've spent a lot of time with ex-players and I think they can help us in a few areas. Let me speak to a few and see who would be the best option for you." — Daniel Vallverdu

Throughout 2018, Daniel Vallverdu sat down with Grigor Dimitrov to try to guide him through a difficult situation in an important season, vital in consolidating his place among the best players in the world.

After an amazing 2017, which culminated in winning the Nitto ATP Finals and finishing at World No. 3, Dimitrov started the season playing well, but without achieving the results he had hoped for. That, coupled with tough draws in the first rounds of tournaments (Milos Raonic in Madrid, Kei Nishikori in Rome, Novak Djokovic at Queen's, Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon, Djokovic again in Cincinnati and Wawrinka at the US Open), made for a dangerous cocktail: lack of confidence, pressure and unfulfilled hopes.

"For the first time," Vallverdu told ATPTour.com in Melbourne ahead of the Bulgarian's second-round match with Pablo Cuevas, "Grigor realised that he has the level to compete with the best players all year. This helped him see that his goals are realistic. Maybe he had some doubts, but the goals are achievable," added the Venezuelan coach.

"He has the opportunity to be at the top, winning big tournaments. It took a lot for him to accept this, especially after the first few months when he wasn't achieving the results he wanted. When you think you have the possibility to have good results, and you don't get them, the pressure increases. He was training hard and playing well. Every time he played a practice match with another player, he won. I was happy with the level of his tennis, but it was all mental, inside and outside the court," said Vallverdu.

So it was Vallverdu who proposed to Dimitrov that they search the market for options to bring someone onto the team. The Venezuelan, who shared the stage with Ivan Lendl for almost two years when he worked with Andy Murray, found the man he wanted quickly and put his plan into action.

"Luckily Agassi was ready to help us and I quickly realised that he was the right person to look at things inside and outside the court," said Vallverdu.

Agassi, Vallverdu, Dimitrov

Convincing Agassi isn't an easy task. The former World No. 1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion retired from the ATP Tour on 3 September 2006 and afterwards his priorities changed completely; he distanced himself from the world of tennis. However, the American made a return when he started working with Djokovic in 2017, a relationship that lasted less than a year and that ended with few positive results.

Because of this, accepting the call from Vallverdu to join Dimitrov's team was a slow process.

"He took his time, especially at the beginning," confessed Vallverdu. "It hadn't gone very well with Djokovic and he wanted to see what the situation was and if it would be the case that he could actually help and have an impact. For the first couple of months I spoke a lot with both of them. After the summer, he realised it would be something positive, that Grigor was improving every day. And after various weeks of lots of communication he was ready. Of course, it's a relationship that we work on every day. We are happy with his work, be it five or 20 weeks of the year.

Vallverdu’s decision to turn to Agassi for help shows a coach who is ready to do whatever it takes to help his player.

"My job is to try and maximise the player's career, because it goes by very quickly," said Vallverdu. “You realise that when you've been on tour for this long. Tournaments go by fast, the years fly by. I care about Grigor and the relationship we have; I don't want the years to pass us by and we lose time. I want him to improve as a tennis player and as a person, to keep progressing in various aspects of his career and also in his life," he added. "I made the decision to bring in help because my goal is that he keeps evolving.

"It was the right decision to try something new. Away from the court, Grigor is very different to the other players, especially among the older generation. He is a little more of an artist and sees things differently to other people. Agassi also went through times like this in his career. They share similarities in how they think about some things. They have connected on a level that is going to help us moving forwards."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/dimitro ... -open-2019

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Dimitrov Rebuilding A Step At A Time, Reaches Third Round

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Hard work in the off-season shines through in January and Grigor Dimitrov, at his most successful major championship, is no exception. With the support of former World No. 1 and four-time Australian Open titlist Andre Agassi, in addition to regular coach Daniel Vallverdu, on his team, the Bulgarian booked a place in the third round in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

Dimitrov, the No. 20 seed, struck 57 winners to advance with a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 victory over World No. 94 Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay in two hours and 49 minutes. He will next play Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano on Friday.

In eight previous appearances at the first Grand Slam championship of the season, Dimitrov’s best run came in 2017 when he reached the semi-final (l. to Nadal in five sets). He also reached the 2014 and 2018 quarter-finals.

You May Also Like: How To Convince Agassi To Be Your Coach

Dimitrov got off to a perfect start taking a 3-0 lead in a 29-minute first set, but didn’t have things his own way. Cuevas could not convert two set points on Dimitrov’s service at 4-5 in the second set, and found himself in the next game at 15/40, but struck three straight aces. Dimitrov regrouped after losing the tie-break and broke serve once at 2-1 in the third set - aided by three double faults from Cuevas - and at 5-5 in the fourth set en route to his 22nd victory at Melbourne Park (22-8 overall).

American Reilly Opelka may have hit 97 winners, including 67 aces, but it wasn’t enough. Fabbiano, 5’8” in height, held his nerve to reach the third round of a Grand Slam championship for the third time (also 2017 US Open and 2018 Wimbledon) after a 6-7(15), 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5) win over his 6’10” opponent in three hours and 32 minutes. Opelka saved five set points in an epic first set tie-break at 6/7, 8/9, 10/11, 12/13 and 14/15, clinching the set on his sixth set point opportunity.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/dimitro ... -open-2019

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Did You Know?
The Australian Open is Dimitrov’s most successful Grand Slam in terms of matches won. The 27-year-old owns a 23-8 record at Melbourne Park, compared to a 15-9 mark at Wimbledon, 8-8 at the US Open and 7-8 at Roland Garros.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/dimitro ... alian-open

[DUN I LOVE]

Bardzo dyskretny występ Grigora na tegorocznym AO, ciekawe, cy coś sensownego z tego wyniknie.

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[Damian]

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[Damian]

Miami19: udany powrót do gry.

[24] Grigor Dimitrov d. Feliciano López 6-1 6-3

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[Damian]

Last year's semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov also advanced, beating Matteo Berrettini of Italy 7-5, 6-4. The 27-year-old, who improves to 13-6 in Monte-Carlo, saved six of eight break points en route to victory.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/wawrink ... 019-sunday

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Grigor Dimitrov defeated Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(2), 6-4 to record his 14th win in 20 appearances at the third Masters 1000 event of the season. Dimitrov will be aiming to reach his second quarter-final of the year, after reaching the last eight at the Brisbane International in January (l. to Nishikori). Nadal leads Dimitrov 11-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, which includes wins for the Spaniard at this event in the 2013 quarter-finals and last year's semi-finals.

"Tomorrow is another good test against Grigor, so let's see," said Nadal. "I need to play well again."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-b ... -wednesday

[Razing]

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[Barty]

Jedyne, co mu zostało, to hot shoty. Dobre i to.

[DUN I LOVE]

W badziewnym punkcie znalazł się jego tenis. Mimo upływu czasu ciężko patrzeć na takie coś.