Grigor Dimitrov

[Lleyton]

Dimitrov & Team Bulgaria: 'We're Going To Try To Take It All In'

Spoiler:

Bulgaria will compete in Group C in Sydney

Team Bulgaria’s No. 1 player and captain Grigor Dimitrov, who made the Sydney final in 2016, visited Sydney Harbour Bridge on Monday evening, posting pictures on social media. “I love that city,” he wrote in an Instagram story post.

The 28-year-old was still blown away by the setting when he arrived at the North Sydney Pool — which is right under the bridge — on Tuesday afternoon with the rest of his team: Dimitar Kuzmanov, Alexandar Lazarov, Alexander Donski and Adrian Andreev.

“We’re just having a day off today and we’re going to try to take it all in, enjoy it and welcome 2020,” Dimitrov said.
The Bulgarians had plenty of fun, practising various jumps into the pool and going for a swim. The ATP Cup is a unique opportunity for some of the team’s players who have not previously been to Sydney to not only compete in an inaugural 24-team event with the best players in the world, but to enjoy a memorable experience, too.

“I cannot hide that I’m super-excited. It’s the very first time here for me in Sydney and Australia as well,” Kuzmanov said. “It’s not a bad start of the year at all. Perfect weather. New continent, new country, great mood and also perfect organisation and great team spirit.”

Andreev is the youngest player on Team Bulgaria, and he too has never been to Sydney, only competing in the Australian Open juniors. And not only is he excited for the ATP Cup, but also to spend quality time with the best players from his country and continue building their relationships.

“It’s awesome to be here. It’s going to be a really good challenge and it’s going to be great to see the competition and just enjoy playing or watching the matches and just support my country,” Andreev said. “It will be really awesome.”

Fireworks will line the skies over Sydney as the clock strikes midnight marking 1 January, but Team Bulgaria will look to create more fireworks as the competition begins, attempting to advance through Group C to reach the Final Eight.

Team Bulgaria's first match will be on Friday against Team Great Britain at 5:30pm local time.

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[DUN I LOVE]

Król życia.

[Damian]

The Sydney Roller-Coaster That Awaits Dimitrov & Darcis

Spoiler:

Find out why the Bulgarian and Belgium will be plenty busy at the ATP Cup
If you think you’re busy, think again. Grigor Dimitrov and Steve Darcis will show why this week in Sydney at the inaugural ATP Cup, where they are serving as playing captains for their respective countries.

Dimitrov, Bulgaria’s No. 1 player, will have an especially hectic week at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre. He’ll start his day coaching the No. 2 singles match, have 10 minutes before going back on court for his own match, then potentially have a 45-minute rest before playing doubles if he chooses. If not, Dimitrov will be back in the captains’ seat, coaching once again.

“I was just thinking about that, literally. I don't know [how it’ll be]. I have done it before. I have jumped on the court with like five minutes' warm-up or anything like that. Only thing clearly I'm just careful not to overdo my body, just so I'm kind of fresh,” Dimitrov said. “I know it's not going to be very easy to just sit on the first match. And jumping right out is going to be I think super-challenging, but I don't know. I'm kind of excited for it. I will be ready, and plus we have all the support from the boys on the side.”

Dimitrov has embraced the role of captain since he helped Bulgaria qualify for the inaugural 24-team competition. Since arriving in Australia, he has been running practice for his country, and spending plenty of time with his teammates off the court, from morning runs to visits to local landmarks. But Dimitrov is having a blast in the process.

“It's challenging, no doubt about it. It's always been a dream of mine to always see on the other end,” Dimitrov said. “I think to be a coach is never easy. I don't know if I'm going to be a good coach. I can only share my experience, my thoughts with the guys. That's why it's called team. We can all discuss, we can find a good way to approach every single thing every single day, which is great. It's very new from what I'm doing and what I have ever done.

“I'm going to for sure feel a bit of the pressure on each end, but I have been doing it all my life dealing with pressure and everything. That's what makes it even more special for me and the boys.”

Team Bulgaria

The nice thing for Dimitrov is that he’s not alone. He has an entire team behind him, with players he plans to rely upon to help push the country to success.

“I think in moments like that, I don't want to say you seek the help, but that's what makes a great team: a unity. And I think we all have that,” Dimitrov said. “Regardless of what time it is or what time of the match or the tie is, we're going to absolutely support each other for whatever we need out there, and I would say that's probably the most important thing.”

Dimitrov is not the only playing captain in Sydney, with Belgian No. 2 David Goffin also holding that position. Belgium and Bulgaria will interestingly compete against one another on 7 January.

Darcis' day will be a bit different than Dimitrov's— he competes first, then will quickly need to prepare to assist Goffin.

“I think it's going to be funny. Just after the singles, I will have to hurry to take a shower and to change to be ready for David's match,” Darcis said. “But it's a great experience to be on the chair and to be on the court in the same day. It's interesting, and I like it a lot.”

Darcis is not overthinking on the coaching end for Goffin’s matches. The Belgian No. 1 reached the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017.

“I think he will have to prepare for his match. He has his own coach here, Thomas [Johansson], so he will be on the bench with me and he will be talking to David, of course,” Goffin said, before cracking a smile. “Me, I think I will be there just to clap and to support him.”

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[Kamileki]

[Barty]

Bulgarian Bench Clearing! Underdogs Stun Great Britain

Spoiler:

Dimitrov leads thrilling late-night upset for Bulgaria over Great Britain
Grigor Dimitrov took double-duty to a new level on Friday evening and Saturday morning at the inaugural ATP Cup. Not only did the captain come from a set down to win his singles match, but he led the world's No. 477 doubles player, Alexandar Lazarov, past established doubles stars Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 11-9. They saved two match points to clinch Team Bulgaria's 2-1 victory over Team Great Britain at 2:46am local time.

It's safe to say the Bulgarians won't forget their first ATP Cup tie.

"Zero chance. I was just telling them, 'Guys, this easily can be a historical moment for us. Just do it to remember.' I don't know if in the history, per se, but I think it means a lot for the whole team," Dimitrov said. "That's why we're here. That's why we play. I think this event has been a great start for us, great start of the year, great start of the event. But all I can say is I'm just really proud of the boys."

After Dimitrov's third victory in four ATP Head2Head matches against Daniel Evans, Team Bulgaria still had a tough hill to climb considering Lazarov had never won a doubles match at tour-level or on the ATP Challenger Tour.

But the ATP Cup gives the players a platform to perform, and that's exactly what the Bulgarians did. Despite trailing from early on in the Match Tie-break, they showed no fear when facing two match points at 7/9. Dimitrov reflexed an inside-out backhand return for a winner to save the first, and then Lazarov crushed an overhead to dismiss the British pair's second opportunity.

Lazarov never buckled despite this being on the biggest stage of his career. On his team's first match point, he hit an inside-in forehand that landed just inside the baseline, finishing off the upset after exactly two hours.

"We missed our flights. We couldn't get here in time. We practised like two or three times. So coming up to this match, I was extremely nervous and I didn't know what to expect," Lazarov said. "But the energy [Grigor] brings to the court is just unbelievable. Right away, right from the start, I felt calm. I felt confident playing alongside with him. And it finally paid off."

After Team Bulgaria stormed the court, Dimitrov and Lazarov stuck around to thank their fans, with the entire team getting emotional after an exhilarating win.

"It's just nice when things happen. I think clearly we also had a little bit of luck, [a] few points here and there, no doubt about it. But we worked for that luck. As I said leading up to that week, all the boys, they were practising really hard," Dimitrov said. "It's been a great atmosphere throughout every single day. That really adds up, and when you get the result, it's even better for me.

"But the best is when I looked at him clearly and all the boys in the team, and some of them were crying, actually. Those are the moments that I cherish, I remember. And also that's why we're here, to play for that, for those special moments, for our country."

Earlier on, Dimitrov beat Evans 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an entertaining all-court affair that ended at 12:10am local time in Sydney. In the early going, the former World No. 3 struggled to find a rhythm against the slicing and dicing off Evans' racquet.

However, Dimitrov never dipped his head in his first match of the season, blasting away on the backhand side, creating a highlight reel of one-handed lasers. And after two hours and 16 minutes, Dimitrov earned the victory when Evans mishit a volley.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/came ... w'>Cameron Norrie</a>

In the tie's No. 2 singles match, Cameron Norrie beat Dimitar Kuzmanov 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to give Team Great Britain a 1-0 lead.

Norrie first played Kuzmanov at a Futures event in 2014, losing just two games. The lefty didn't have it anywhere near as easy Friday evening in Sydney, but he got the job done nonetheless.

"It was a tough match. It's the first match of the year. So, yeah, I came out playing great. It was a real physical first set, and then literally one little lapse in concentration, and then I was down a break and he actually played solid. I didn't really have any chances in the second," Norrie said. "Obviously there were a couple doubts in the second, but no, I was actually real happy with the way I competed and the way I carried myself."

The difference in the match was Norrie's success with his swinging lefty serve, helping him win 83 per cent of his first-serve points en route to a two-hour victory. He broke serve six times, including on four occasions in the third set.

Visit Official Website, ATPCup.com

Interestingly Norrie won his lowest rate of first-serve points in the final set (69%), but he improved his return pressure, winning 74 per cent of his return points in the decider.

The 24-year-old Norrie enjoyed the best season of his young career in 2019, breaking into the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings in March before reaching a career-high No. 41 in May. And with his triumph against Kuzmanov, the Brit appears poised for a fast start once again.

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[Damian]

Dimitrov Delivers! Bulgaria Beats Moldova In Sydney

Spoiler:

Bulgaria has won both of its ties in Sydney
Bulgaria needed until 2:46am Saturday morning to secure their first tie victory of the ATP Cup, surprising Great Britain in a thriller. But there was no such drama on Sunday, with the team cruising past Moldova.

Grigor Dimitrov beat Radu Albot 6-2, 6-3 in 83 minutes to seal his country's victory, which ultimately was by a 2-1 margin.

"I just had to build up the team a little bit for today, and after that it was just all about the game," Dimitrov said. "I think Dimitar did a great job this morning. Obviously it was a good match on his end. And then I had to make sure I stayed strong throughout the whole match today. That was good."

The former World No. 3, who won the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, showed no fatigue after playing a total of six sets in singles and doubles against Great Britain, on top of serving in his role as Bulgarian captain. Dimitrov broke the Moldovan four times, winning 86 per cent of his first-serve points to put the tie out of reach.

Visit The Official Website

In the second set, Albot, the 2019 Delray Beach titlist, fought back from a break down to put pressure on Dimitrov. But the World No. 20 had the match on his racquet and did not panic, defeating Albot in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

"Coming into this thing, I knew that if we come together, we have a great opportunity. I know I have to not only believe in myself now, but I need to believe in the players that are with me," Dimitrov said. "My only goal was, and I'm honest on that, was just to put them together, to make sure we practise together, to make sure they learn something from me, to make sure they are surrounded by the top players. That was my main goal."

Dimitrov's countryman, Dimitar Kuzmanov, fell just short of a big win against Great Britain, losing to Cameron Norrie in three sets. But the World No. 423 would not be denied on Sunday, defeating Alexander Cozbinov 6-1, 7-5 to give his country the early lead.

"I'm the happiest person right now," Kuzmanov said, cracking a smile. "As I was giving the interview on the court... I totally forgot that this is also my first ATP match win. I didn't think about it at all. I was really, really focussed only about my game, just stick with it, the plan, the game plan we had. I think it was working pretty well."

Kuzmanov

The 26-year-old arrived in Sydney without an ATP Tour win in his career. But Kuzmanov broke serve five times against World No. 818 Cozbinov to triumph after one hour and 48 minutes.

"Really happy that I dealt with the pressure, because it's not easy. It's not easy to always play the first match, as a No. 2 player, and especially I'm still getting used to everything here and that level," Kuzmanov said. "I'm learning and I'm feeling better and better every day here and on court. At the end, the most important thing is that I managed to pull this one [out]."

The rallies were tightly contested throughout, with Cozbinov consistently trying to play aggressively as Kuzmanov fended off his opponent's attacks. The Bulgarian was patient, forcing Cozbinov to go for more and more from neutral positions in the court, leading to some errors after long points. The Bulgarian also tried to use his backhand slice to change the rhythm of rallies.

But Cozbinov was playing for his country, and like he did against Belgium's Steve Darcis on Friday, the Moldovan battled hard until the end. The 24-year-old surged from 0-4 down in the second set, getting back on serve at 5-5, even after Kuzmanov earned a 40/0 advantage as he served for the match for the first time at 5-4.

Kuzmanov remained calm, though, breaking back in the next game to earn the chance to serve for the match again. Even after falling short in a 40-shot rally on his fourth match point, Kuzmanov sealed his victory with a forehand down the line that Cozbinov couldn't handle. The Bulgarian fell to the court on his stomach in celebration, getting up and kissing the Bulgarian flag on his shirt.

Both country's No. 1 singles players competed in the doubles match, with Albot and Cozbinov beating Dimitrov and Alexandar Lazarov 6-4, 7-6(4). That was Moldova's first match win of the ATP Cup.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Why Dimitrov Wants To 'Put The Past In The Past' In 2020

Spoiler:

Go inside Dimitrov's road to the 2020 season
Grigor Dimitrov got off to a fast start in 2020, nearly leading Bulgaria to the Final Eight by helping his country past Great Britain and Moldova. The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion will look to maintain that momentum as the No. 18 seed at the Australian Open, where he made the semi-finals three years ago.

Physically, the 28-year-old is prepared after an intense off-season conditioning block in Monte-Carlo.

“It’s such a different pain to what you experience on the court because on the court you cannot turn off your brain, but here you can actually turn off your brain,” Dimitrov said. “So you can kind of push through it a lot and that’s what we’re aiming [for], especially early on in the weeks, to just beast through it and be like, ‘This is where I’m at, I’m burning, I’m feeling pain, I’m suffering’, but sort of close your eyes and go through it. [That’s] whether you’re going to lift weights, do something on a bike, do a cardio exercise, so you’re able to do that.

“When you get on the court you cannot really do that. You need to follow the ball, take the right decision, stay loose in your head. But I think all that from the gym carries so much more for us on the court and then when you’re in a similar situation, if you start feeling whether it’s an anxiety a little bit, nervousness or a higher heart rate for example, you kind of go back to what you’ve done and you know you’ve gone through it. That gives you a certain way of calmness and then the rest is [the] mental game.”


In Monaco, Dimitrov would start in the morning to wake up his body, do injury prevention exercises, work on his abs among other body parts, and generally do work that he is unable to do during the season at tournaments. Along with his team, the Bulgarian also worked on his shoulder because of an injury that limited him early in 2019, preparing for a stronger start to 2020.

“It’s like Formula One, we are always on the edge, so it’s like the details that make the difference here and there. We do some muscle testing, we see there is this feeling on the court, off the court when we do the exercise,” Sebastien Durand, Dimitrov’s fitness trainer, said. “We have to listen a lot and then we have to adjust all the time to his feedback. Constant adjustments. We work, but at the same time it’s creative, we put the brain on it and it’s fun, too.”

After falling as low as No. 78 in the FedEx ATP Rankings last August, Dimitrov turned his season around by making the semi-finals of the US Open and the Rolex Paris Masters.

“I think right now I’m really not trying to think so much about how I ended the year. Yes, I had pretty good results, but those were important for me personally,” Dimitrov said. “It was a tough moment, especially when I started dipping down the [FedEx ATP] Rankings. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to come back by the end of the year.”

Dimitrov is now focussed on what’s in front of him. The 2019 season was a roller-coaster, but he’s ready to push forward to greater heights.

“There were a lot of question marks, a lot of doubts and in a sense negative thoughts. The most important thing right now is to really keep on doing the work and sort of put the past in the past,” Dimitrov said. “I think it’s a very exciting time ahead.”

More Stories Like This In: Player Features Grigor Dimitrov 2020

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[Kamileki]

Dimitrov On Tracksuit: 'I Don't Want To Be Vanilla'

Spoiler:

Grigor Dimitrov is happy to be different with his fashion choices.
Dimitrov On Tracksuit: 'I Don't Want To Be Vanilla'
Jan202020
ATP Staff

Bulgarian looking to reach second Australian Open SF this fortnight

As if his pre-match tracksuit didn't say it for him, Grigor Dimitrov made clear after his first-round win at the Australian Open on Monday that he likes being different in all things in life, especially in fashion.

Dimitrov walked into Melbourne Arena wearing a dark purple Nike tracksuit with yellow shapes on it. The outfit caused a stir and received mixed reviews on social media. But Dimitrov didn't mind.

“I have [no] problem wearing anything, pretty much. I thought it was kind of cool,” he said after his 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-4 win against Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero.

“I actually love it. I love colours... I love experimenting as well and when [I'm] out there, I don't really think that much of the outfit. But it's so good to feel comfortable. I've been fortunate with Nike to be able to have quite a bit of my input.”

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His sartorial choice caught even some of friends off guard. “I already had a couple of friends who were like, “[We] knew you were going to wear it before, we weren't sure you were going to wear the whole thing,'” Dimitrov said.

But others close to him, including one of his coaches, Andre Agassi, fully welcomed it. During his playing days, Agassi also was known for some bold fashion statements, including jean shorts and pink compression shorts underneath.

“Andre was very happy with it. He was impressed. He was like, 'Wow, I know where that comes from,'” Dimitrov said.

The Bulgarian is looking to reach his second Australian Open semi-final (2017, l. to Nadal). He'll wear his current outfit for at least this week. In the future, he'll strive for more head-turning choices.

“I love being different when it comes to things like that and so many other things. I think the outfit is fun. I don't want to be vanilla,” Dimitrov said.

He's not saying what might be coming up at future events. “Who knows? Who knows?,” he said. “I don't know. Nike and I had quite a bit of fun doing those things. Can't you tell?”

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[arti]

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Barty]

Dimitrov Edges Shapovalov To Reach Rotterdam Second Round

Spoiler:

Bautista Agut through in three sets

Grigor Dimitrov made an impressive start to his eighth appearance at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Monday, beating eighth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(3) in Rotterdam.

In his 20th match at the ATP 500 event (13-7), the 2018 runner-up saved all three break points he faced — including a set point at 4-5 in the second set — to advance after 89 minutes. Dimitrov improves to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Shapovalov, having also defeated the Canadian at the Rogers Cup in 2016.

“Denis is a quality player,” said Dimitrov. “Indoors, he is very dangerous with his serve. A lefty. Very uncomfortable, but, in fact, I like to play against lefties a lot. I was trying to use every little opportunity that I had to make sure I seized those moments.”

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Dimitrov has now won four of his seven matches at tour-level this year. The Bulgarian won two of three matches for his nation at the inaugural ATP Cup, before a second-round loss to Tommy Paul at the Australian Open. Dimitrov arrived in Rotterdam after losing in three sets to Gregoire Barrere in his opening match at last week’s Open Sud de France.

“There was not a lot of rhythm,” said Dimitrov. “There were not too many rallies, but I was able to stay in control,” said Dimitrov. “I was calm in the important moments and came to the net when I had to, so, overall, the things that I had to do right I did very well.”

Dimitrov will face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff for a spot in the quarter-finals. The 28-year-old lost his only previous ATP Head2Head encounter against Auger-Aliassime at last year’s Fever-Tree Championships and is tied at 2-2 with Struff.

Roberto Bautista Agut’s hopes of a first title in Rotterdam were almost ended in the first round, but the Spaniard survived a second-set tie-break before finishing strongly to beat Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-1.

The World No. 12 recorded his ninth victory in 10 matches this season after two hours and 17 minutes, converting five of eight break points to secure the three-set victory. Bautista Agut is appearing in Rotterdam for the first time since 2016, when he advanced to the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 event for the first time.

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Bautista Agut started the 2020 ATP Tour season in fine form, winning all 12 sets he contested at the inaugural ATP Cup. At the Australian Open, the 31-year-old fell in five sets to 2018 runner-up Marin Cilic in the third round.

Bautista Agut will face countryman Pablo Carreno Busta for a spot in the third round. The 28-year-old needed two hours and 45 minutes to move past Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4.

Bautista Agut leads Carreno Busta 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. Each of the pair’s three previous encounters went to decisive final set.

Daniel Evans also advanced to the second round, winning 85 per cent of first-serve points (28/33) to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5. Evans will face fifth seed Fabio Fognini or Karen Khachanov for a spot in the quarter-finals.

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[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

Seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov wasted no time getting down to business and powered past Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round.

“Amazing crowd out here. It’s a very special tournament for me,” Dimitrov said in his on-court interview. “I was glad to get it going again as I haven’t played in a while and am happy to get that first win.”

The Bulgarian won 92 per cent of his first-serve points (24/26) and broke Dzumhur three times to advance in 74 minutes. Dimitrov now looks for his first quarter-final of the season when he meets Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the next round.

[Kamileki]

[arti]

Grigor Dimitrov leaped over a critical mental hurdle by saving two match points to survive Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(2) in an epic second-round match. Dimitrov had lost his past four final-set tie-breaks, but drew on memories of third-set tie-break victories in the semi-finals and final of his title run at this event in 2014. The Bulgarian improved to 6-4 this year and moved into his maiden quarter-final of 2020.
”All I had to do was to stay in the match and fight. I don’t know why I have to make it so hard, but it what it is,” Dimitrov said. “The atmosphere here was electric once again. I’m just going to appreciate this moment.”

Dimitrov squandered a 4-2 lead in the opening set and held a set point at 8/7 in the first-set tie-break, which Mannarino erased with a forehand volley winner. The Frenchman grabbed the early advantage two points later with an overhead smash.
It appeared that Dimitrov had regained control after cruising through the second set and holding a 4-1 lead in the decider, but Mannarino responded with a four-game run of his own. He held a pair of match points with Dimitrov serving at 4-5, but the Bulgarian erased both with clean hitting.

The match fittingly moved into a final-set tie-break and Dimitrov saved his best tennis for when it mattered most, racing to a 4/0 lead and cracking a backhand winner on match point to end play after two hours and 45 minutes. He improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series with Mannarino.

Next up for Dimitrov is third seed Stan Wawrinka, who enjoyed a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 victory over against Spanish qualifier Pedro Martinez. The Swiss won 90 per cent (26/29) of his first-serve points and broke Martinez twice in each set to advance in one hour and 31 minutes. He's reached at least the quarter-finals in all three events he's played this year.

Wawrinka leads Dimitrov 7-4 in their ATP Head2Head rivalry and has won their past five matches.

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[arti]

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[arti]