By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 15, 2017
Juan Martin del Potro defeated Grigor Dimitrov for the fifth time in as many meetings to reach the Rome second round.
Photo credit: Millennium Estoril Open
A dashing Juan Martin del Potro whipping forehands across the red clay was a welcome sight for Rome fans and a foreboding one for Grigor Dimitrov.
Rallying from a set down, Del Potro defeated Dimitrov for the fifth time in as many meetings, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the Rome second round.
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Contesting his first Rome match in four years, del Potro did damage with his menacing forehand and exhibited control at crunch time.
The 34th-ranked Argentine served seven aces and denied three of five break points, including both break points in the final set, advancing to a second-round meeting with Briton Kyle Edmund, who stopped Joao Sousa, 6-3, 6-4.
It was a gritty victory for del Potro and a gut-wrenching defeat for Dimitrov, who started the season on a 16-1 surge but has met with misery in recent Masters events.
The Australian Open semifinalist squandered four match points in an Indian Wells third-round loss to Jack Sock then failed to convert five match points bowing to Dominic Thiem in Madrid last week.
A fierce two-hour skirmish turned on a tight second serve today.
Staring down break point at 3-4 in the final set, Dimitrov spun a jittery second serve into net gifting the break then wound up and splattered his Wilson racquet off the red clay in frustration.
Winless against del Potro, the 2014 Rome semifinalist understood the importance of a good start.
That knowledge didn’t make the opening game any easier as the lanky Argentine roped a running forehand crosscourt for double break point. Dimitrov forced del Potro to defend his weaker backhand wing fending off both break points then flashing a forehand down the line to hold.
Facing a break point for the first time in the fourth game, del Potro banged a wide serve to erase it, eventually holding.
Movement helped Dimitrov open the court and put distance on del Potro. Quickly dancing around his backhand, the Bulgarian crunched topspin forehands into del Potro’s backhand side earning break point.
Trying to wrench control with his forehand, del Potro flattened a forehand into net dropping serve in the sixth game.
Bolting a backhand down the line then angling off a wide serve, the 10th seeded consolidated for 5-2.
Stretching the 2009 US Open champion with the wide serve, Dimitrov thumped a smash into the stands then cranked a forehand winner capping a love hold to complete a clean 39-minute set.
Victimized by the Bulgarian's forehand to his backhand, del Potro defused that pattern in the second set.
It took del Potro 11 games to finally lash his two-handed backhand down the line. But when he did, it was immediately impactful as he drew a forehand error to break for 2-0.
Banging an ace off the back wall, del Potro backed up the break then scored his second straight break extending the lead to 4-0.
A lunging backhand return and a roundhouse forehand pass crosscourt gave del Potro two set points as he leveled the match on a Dimitrov error.
Summoning a pair of biting body serves, del Potro saved a pair of break points in the seventh game of the decider.
Two hours into the match, Dimitrov scattered a forehand to face break point for the 10th time. Targeting his opponent’s backhand, Dimitrov swooped in for a high forehand volley.
Gesturing to his box between points, the Bulgarian showed some signs of stress then missed a forehand down the line bringing up another break point. This time, Dimitrov couldn’t cope.
A timid double fault into net—his second double fault of the game—saw Dimitrov donate the break.
Raging at that self-inflicted wound, Dimitrov wound up and spiked his Wilson racquet to the court with bad intentions. He picked up the mangled stick and finished the job wrenching the dangling head with his bare hands.
Serving for the match at 5-3, del Potro slashed an ace to open the game and closed a two hour, eight-minute triumph with another jolting serve down the middle.
Sam Querrey cracked 14 aces in a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (8) victory over No. 11-seeded Lucas Pouille. Querrey will play German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, who smacked 18 aces in a 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4 decision over Bernard Tomic.
No. 9-seeded David Goffin converted all six break points edging Thomaz Bellucci, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, in two hours, 31 minutes. The 26-year-old Belgian raised his record to 28-10 on the season.
A Rome quarterfinalist in each of the last two years, Goffin will face Fernando Verdasco in round two.