Two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov saved two match points to keep his hopes of winning his second consecutive title in Brisbane alive on Thursday.
Defending champion Dimitrov was in all sorts of trouble against his valiant opponent, John Millman of Australia as he was a set and a break down. However, the Bulgarian top seed somehow managed to make a remarkable comeback to outwit his challenger to seal a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 victory.
Before the start of the contest, nobody was expecting a two-hour and 38-minute energy sapping see-saw tussle between the two players as Dimitrov has been in great form of late. However, Millman came out all guns blazing, matching Dimitrov shot for shot and seizing upon the opportunities created by the ATP Finals champion’s loose errors.
Millman claimed the opening set in 56 minutes and was on course for a big upset after he raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set tie-break. However, a magical backhand down the line winner saw Dimitrov getting back to life and from that point the contest became a one-sided affair.
Dimitrov’s execution was of the very best quality in the deciding set as he lost only one point on his first serve (17/18) and needed a solitary break in the fourth game to wrap up a well deserved win. He will play Britain’s Kyle Edmund for a place in the semis on Friday. Edmund beat Hyeon Chung of South Korea earlier in the day to set up his date with Dimitrov.
“I thought I was out — he pushed me to the limit,” Dimitrov said. “At moments like that, sometimes it just comes down to improvising. I played aggressive tennis and got rewarded for that.
“First match in about a month — I feel a little bit rusty, but at the same time I’m excited and trying to get into a rhythm.”
