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By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, January 21, 2017

 
Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov hit 48 winners dismissing Richard Gasquet, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, to roll into the Australian Open fourth round.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

In a match that started around midnight, a red-hot Grigor Dimitrov extinguished Richard Gasquet with elegant flash.

Torching 48 winners from all areas of the court, Dimitrov dismissed Gasquet, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, blazing into the Australian Open fourth round for the third time in the last four years.

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"For sure a match like that, it helps me," Dimitrov said. "It helps me to have more confidence, to feel better on the court, more secure in my shots. Just a lot of positives. Take a lot of positives out of that match.

"The first couple of matches were so-so in my opinion. To be able to come tonight and step up against a player like Richard, it means a lot to me, gives me good credit. In the same time I just need to focus now, just need to keep the same line, just control what I can."

Streaking through the Australian summer season, Dimitrov has knocked off four current or former Top 10 players— including Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori en route to his fifth career title in Brisbane—posting an 8-0 record in the process.

More importantly, Dimitrov is playing decisive, attacking tennis.

Gone is the guy who imploded in a racquet-smashing meltdown in Istanbul last May. Gone is the player who would drift into defensive positions behind the baseline and resort to scrambling retrievals. Through the first three weeks of the season, Dimitrov is redefining his game and reclaiming his status as a major contender.



This match was billed as a shotmakers special between former Wimbledon semifinalists capable of all-court flair.

Bold court positioning and brilliant ball-striking empowered Dimitrov. He took the ball earlier than Gasquet and thumped shots with greater conviction.

Gasquet encountered a different Dimitrov from the man he'd beaten five times in six prior meetings, including straight-forward wins at the 2015 Wimbledon and 2012 Roland Garros.

"(He has) big confidence. He won in Brisbane, winning big players," Gasquet said. "He's playing very good. Especially the court is tough for me. It was very fast. The balls weren't heavy. The toughest condition for me, the best for him. It made the difference. He play well. I have not so many chances against him today."

The 18th-ranked Frenchman created problems for himself in a sloppy eighth game. Scrawling a series of errors to face triple break point, he netted his signature one-handed backhand donating the break and a 5-3 lead.

Closure was complicated as Dimitrov dug out of a love-40 hole, denying four break points in all before firing a forehand winner down the line for a third set point. Rifling a backhand winner down the opposite sideline, Dimitrov wrapped up the 51-minute opener.

Regripping his yellow Head racquet during the changeover, Gasquet unraveled with three unforced errors to open the second set. Dimitrov’s sweeping forehand is a more forceful and versatile shot than Gasquet’s forehand. He cracked a forehand winner to start the second set with a break.

Pushed behind the baseline, Gasquet tried to make up the ground squeezing his backhand down the line but missed the mark as Dimitrov broke again for 5-2. When Gasquet sailed another backhand, Dimitrov gained a two-set lead.




Exuding more energy in a late-night start, Dimitrov served 73 percent, smacked 11 aces and repeatedly streaked forward, winning 21 of 24 trips to net.

The only real lapses in an otherwise incandescent performance was the fact Dimitrov won just 35 percent of second-serve points and momentarily lost concentration barking at chair umpire Carlos Bernardes “That’s bullshit!” in disagreement over a call.

Calming himself after that quick outburst, Dimitrov appeared to apologize to Bernardes during a conversation after the post-match handshake.

Wrapping up a sharp two hour, two-minute victory, Dimitrov is aiming for his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2014 Wimbledon. First, he was concerned with a more pressing need: To get to bed before sunrise.

"Hopefully by 5 (I'll get to sleep)," Dimitrov said. "I'm going to be done with everything, all the stretchings, the rehab, just sleep in, come back tomorrow, hit some balls. Kind of go to bed again."

The 15th-seeded Bulgarian will take on wild card Denis Istomin for a quarterfinal spot. The 117th-ranked Istomin backed up his thrilling five-set upset of six-time champion Novak Djokovic defeating 30th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Dimitrov was a 6-3, 6-3 victor over Istomin in their lone prior meeting at the 2014 Shanghai Masters.

"Denis is a very dangerous player, I've known him for quite some time," Dimitrov said. "For sure, he's a great competitor. He just beat Novak. All I can do is control what I can and that is to prepare and stay focused and keep the same line...For sure it's going to be a tough match."


 

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