Grigor Dimitrov has cruised into the final of the Sofia Open after dismissing an error-stricken Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-4.
The third seed was in clinical fashion against the world No.87, who is more accustomed to playing on the Challenger tour. Cheered on by his home crowd, Dimitrov got off to a blistering start as he dropped just three points on route to a 5-0 lead. Basilashvili did manage to prevent the bagel, but his inconsistent shot-making was fatal to his chances.
Racing to a one-set lead in only 23 minutes, Dimitrov experienced a tougher resistance in the second. Continuously applying pressure on his opponent’s serve, the Australian Open semifinalist secured the breakthrough when a double fault from the Georgian player elevated Dimitrov to a set and 4-3 lead. From that point on, the outcome was inevitable. Strolling towards the finished line, the match ended in a way that summed up the match – a Basilashvili error.
“Winning is the most important thing. The opponent should never be underestimated, It’s the semifinals and I give respect to everyone. I was focused and I played well,” Dimitrov said during his on-court interview.
World No.11 David Goffin will be Dimitrov’s opponent in the final after the Belgian upset defending champion Roberto Bautista August 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(3), in a thrilling encounter. The roller coaster clash saw Goffin squander a 3-1 lead at the start of the match to lose the opening set, before he edged past his Spanish opponent. In the deciding set, the 26-year-old lost his serve three times on route to forcing a tiebreak.
Despite the bumpy encounter, Goffin was able to demonstrate glimpses of his brilliance with a blistering backhand down the line rewarding him with a trio of match points, which he converted on his first opportunity.
#Goffin #AtpSofia pic.twitter.com/0vx3jx7teD
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) 11 February 2017
Sunday’s final will be the second meeting between the two players this season. At the Australian Open Dimitrov triumphed in straight sets against Goffin in the quarterfinals. Aware that he will be the underdog in the upcoming final, Goffin intends to conduct different tactics to those he used in Melbourne.
“I realize that if he (Dimitrov) stood in the finals against me, the whole arena will be with him. But I have experience of similar scenarios at the Olympic Games in Rio, and playing in the Davis Cup, so I know what awaits me.” Goffin explained.
“If I want to beat him, however, I will need to change something. I have to serve better, because I remember that in our last match – the Australian Open, I didn’t serve well. Here the conditions are different, so we’ll see what happens.”
Dimitrov lead Goffin 5-0 in their head-to-head. A win on Sunday will reward him with his first title on Bulgarian soil in his professional career. The last trophy he won in Bulgaria was the 2006 Kenana Cup, a Grade 5 junior tournament played on clay.
