Grigor Dimitrov overcame a slow start to ease past an injured Denis Istomin 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-1, in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Entering the Margaret Court Arena, the 15th seed was looking to extend his unbeaten start to the tennis season. Prior to Melbourne, Dimitrov defeated a trio of top 10 players on route to the Brisbane title. Standing in his way was tournament underdog Istomin, who recently knocked defending champion Novak Djokovic out of the tournament. The matchup was one filled with intrigue, but it was fatigued and injury which marred the match.
The start of the encounter triggered flashbacks to Istomin’s stunning win over Novak Djokovic. Once again the wildcard entrant was applying the pressure on his opponent’s serve by utilizing the speed of the court to his advantage. Dimitrov also aided his opponent towards the first set, hitting a series of costly errors on the crucial points, dropping his serve two consecutive times.
Dimitrov then immediately faced a duo of break points at the start of the second set before winning four consecutive points to hold. That mini comeback was what Dimitrov and his camp required. After struggling with consistency in the early stages, the Bulgarian returned to the form which saw him lift the Brisbane title earlier this month. Dimitrov’s resurgence came as Istomin struggled with his own body. A forehand passing shot down the line rewarded the 15th seed four chances to level the match. The set was then given with the help of a Istomin forehand drifting out.
From that point onwards, Dimitrov found himself playing in a different match. The physical demand of the first week had taken it’s toll on Istomin as his movement on the court dramatically declined. Twice he received a medical timeout to treat issues with his back and hamstring. Admirably he kept fighting, but Dimitrov refused to let the opportunity slip.
With his fatigued and Injured opponent refusing to throw in the towel, Dimitrov’s task of closing out the match turned into a mental challenge. Istomin’s ability to get down and hit the ball was no more as he tried his best to stay in rallies. The efforts of the Uzbek were no match for a player with as high of calibre as Dimitrov. Strolling to only his third grand slam quarter-final (first since 2014) Dimitrov closed out the victory with his seventh ace of the match.
“It’s an exciting time, I’m not going to lie.” Dimitrov said after winning his eighth consecutive match on the tour.
“I’m just happy, I’m appreciating these kind of moments.” he added.
During his on-court interview, Dimitrov praised the ability of his opponent. Melbourne is the first time that Istomin has reached the fourth round of a major since the 2013 US Open.
“I played against an unbelievable player, who was absolutely on fire. He’s deserves all the credit this week. He has been playing unbelievable tennis, beating Novak.” Dimitrov said of Istomin.
In their last eight the 15th seed will play Belgium’s David Goffin. Goffin became the first man from his country to reach the last eight at the Melbourne event by downing Dominic Thiem in four sets.
“We have practiced together quite a few times during the off-season, so there are no secrets out there.“ He said.
“He’s a pretty good player, very talented, knows his way around the court. It’s going to be a tough match, I just need to be ready and prepare the best way I can.”
Dimitrov has a winning 4-0 head-to-head against Goffin. His most recent victory was at the 2014 US Open.
