LONDON: Some defeats have a silver lining and for Grigor Dimitrov at the French Open it was that the grass swing was soon approaching.
Earlier this month the world No.6 bowed out of the third round at Roland Garros in straight sets. Losing to Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco. It is the eighth year in a row that the Bulgarian has failed to reach the fourth round of the tournament. The only consolation was his overall performance on the clay this year.
“This clay court season hadn’t got the way I wanted it to. At the same time I felt that I have improved on a couple of things.” Dimitrov told reporters at Queen’s on Sunday.
“I tried to be as positive as I could after finishing the French Open.” He added.
Seeking to return back to winning ways, the 27-year-old is targeting a second title at the Fever-Tree Championships in London. The venue is one that brings happy memories for Dimitrov. This year will be his tenth appearance at The Queen’s Club, where he won his first and so far only title on the grass back in 2014.
“I felt I had a great transition from surfaces (clay to grass), which is very nice. It also feels very good for the body.” He explained. “I feel that I can slide a little bit and the service is improving a lot. All these improvements mean a lot to me.”
Happily naming himself as a title contended at the ATP 500 event, Dimitrov is aware of the obstacles that could stand in his way. All of the top eight players are ranked in the world’s top 20. Furthermore, former grand slam champions Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are unseeded in the draw. Should all go to plan, Dimitrov could face Djokovic in the second round as the Serbian aims to return back to his best.
“Queen’s have been a tremendous success over the years for me, so of course I’m going to expect a lot from myself.” Said Dimitrov, who has won 15 out of 23 matches played at the tournament.
“Every round matters a lot. It is just simple as that. I think obviously it’s going to be a tough battle either way.
“Obviously some of the players that are unseeded has had a great success (at the tournament) over the years, but at the same time it’s time to play. Time to step up the game.”
Ironically the potentially tough start to the tournament may be a blessing in disguise. Reflecting on the contenders for this year’s title, Dimitrov believes a triumph in London could play a pivotal role in taking his career to the next level.
“A lot of things in life are about timing. Maybe this is the time that in order for me to get to that next step I need to go through those kind of players to succeed.”
A special relationship
Almost four years have passed since his memorable run to the Wimbledon semi-finals. Since then Dimitrov has been ranked as high as third in the world and won the 2017 ATP World Tour Finals. Becoming the first Bulgarian in history to do so. Nevertheless, his love for the green surface has remained unchanged.
“I guess I have a special relationship with the grass. It’s always been a surface of mine that I always wanted to do well on and I know how limited our time (on the tour) is out there.” He said.
“Grass is very unpredictable and you always gotta be ready. It’s as simple as that. You gotta stay in the games, be more persistent when the other guy is serving. It’s up to you to seize that moment.”
Dimitrov will be hoping to seize the moment on Tuesday when he starts his campaign at Queen’s. His first opponent will be world No.28 Damir Dzumhur.
“It’s entirely up to me to make the right decisions on the court. Follow my instincts because sometimes that is all you need to do on the grass.” He concluded.
