The threat of Grigor Dimitrov is definitely one to take very seriously. Already a semi-finalist at Shanghai three weeks ago, the 17th-ranked player has once again made his way to the last four of a Masters 1000, this time in Paris. The Bulgarian defeated a two-faced Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals on Friday (6-1, 4-6, 6-4) and is now preparing to face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Karen Khachanov.
Up until now, Hubert Hurkacz had shown great solidity throughout his week in Paris, only dropping one set (against Sebastian Korda) in a tiebreak, no less. However, on Friday, the Polish player experienced a severe setback. After completely faltering in his first service game (two double faults), he made numerous mistakes and errors. Grigor Dimitrov took full advantage of this and logically took the lead, winning the first set in less than half an hour.
Thankfully for him – and incidentally, for the interest of this quarterfinal match – the 11th-ranked player raised his game right from the start of the second set. His serve suddenly became lethal again (8 aces, including 4 in a row in his service game at 3-3), his forehand shots became more aggressive, and his net approaches were often successful. As a result, Dimitrov had less room to maneuver and conceded the crucial break at the worst possible moment, at 4-5.
The third set, which was highly undecided for a long time, between two players who were exchanging blows without any concessions and produced some very beautiful points, shifted when Dimitrov converted his only break point opportunity of the set at 3-3. Despite Hurkacz’s efforts, he couldn’t avoid the inevitable and ultimately surrendered after 1 hour and 40 minutes of play. This defeat could have serious consequences for the native of Wroclaw, as the door to the Masters will close in front of him if Holger Rune defeats Novak Djokovic on Friday. Dimitrov, on the other hand, is only two victories away from clinching his second Masters 1000 title and making a striking comeback to the forefront.
