By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 4, 2023
Grigor Dimitrov won 24 of 26 trips to net out-dueling Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3) to reach his first Masters final since 2017 in Paris.
Photo credit: Rolex Paris Masters Facebook
Agonizing endings only deepen Grigor Dimitrov’s desire.
Pushed to a third-set tiebreaker by nemesis Stefanos Tsitispas, Dimitrov delivered forward flow and pure passion to land his first Rolex Paris Masters final.
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A dynamic Dimitrov won 24 of 26 trips to net out-dueling Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3) to reach his first Masters final since 2017 in Paris.
"It means a lot to me for so many different reasons," Dimitrov said. "I don't take this very lightly in a sense that, I mean, I appreciate it a lot because I know how difficult it has been for me, certain tournaments and months throughout the year. So I guess this came at the right time.
"Right now I'm just staying in the moment. I have one more match to play. I'm going to give it all. What's gonna happen, I don't know. But I'd say this week means, from a very different perspective to me, a lot."
Contesting his 10th Masters 1000 semifinal, Dimitrov carried a double-dose of futility into this semifinal: He was 1-8 lifetime in Masters 1000 semifinals and owned an unimposing 1-6 career record against Tsitsipas.
None of that mattered match to Dimitrov, who played inspired and imposing tennis at times to top Tsitsipas for the first time since the 2020 Vienna. It is Dimitrov's first Masters 1000 final since he defeated Nick Kyrgios to capture the 2017 Cincinnati championship.
Third-set tiebreakers were bitter heartbreakers for Dimitrov, who had lost his last two meetings with Tsitsipas in third-set breakers.
Rising to the occasion today, Dimitrov combined impeccable serving—he won 25 of 32 second-serve points and saved all four break points he faced—with creative shotmaking, including several soaring smashes in a two hour, 31-minute victory.
The 32-year-old Dimitrov will face world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, his good friend and long-time nemesis, in tomorrow's final.
The top-seeded Djokovic, who has been battling a stomach bug this week, showed his grit fending off fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 in today's second semifinal that spanned a physical three hours.
Djokovic has dominated Dimitrov winning 11 of their 12 matches and breaking the Bulgarian's backhand down in extended rallies. Can Dimitrov play the proactive tennis he's shown all week against the 24-time Grand Slam champion who has mastered him?
The unseeded Dimitrov is playing for his first title since he defeated David Goffin in the 2017 ATP Finals title match sweeping through the tournament undefeated to finish 2017 ranked a career-high No. 3.
A revitalized Dimitrov has recaptured his Top 10 form this week showing both dazzling all-court tennis and determined grit defeating world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev, Antwerp champion Alexander Bublik, Shanghai champion Hubert Hurkacz and Australian Open finalist Tsitsipas en route to the final.
Dimitrov soared through 12 of the first 14 points charging out to a 3-0 lead, he extended to 4-1 after just 16 minutes.
Tsitsipas stamped his first love hold in the sixth game.
Mixing his low slice backhand with some crackling forehand drives, Dimitrov was shifting spins and heights of his shots and attacking when opportunity opened. Skimming the net with a backhand pass, Dimitrov held at 15 for 5-2. By then, the Bulgarian had won 16 of 18 serve points.
During a tense eight-and-a-half minute test, Tsitsipas saved two set points—the first with a kick serve to the Bulgarian’s one-handed and second with a forehand strike down the line—holding for 3-5.
Pressuring the Greek’s weaker backhand wing with both dipping forehands and trips forward to net, Dimitrov forced a wild backhand to convert his third set point and serve out the 38-minute opener.
A sharp Dimitrov won 20 of 23 serve points in the opening set.
An hour into the match, Tsitsipas mounted his first real threat on the Dimitrov serve moving to 30-all. The Greek sent a sloppy backhand wide and Dimitrov, despite taping around his left thigh, soared for a snazzy smash he threw down to level the second set after six games.
Even at 4-all, Tsitsipas showed conviction—and got an assist from the tape—saving two break points. Tsitsipas played a fine forehand volley to save the first break point. On the second, Dimitrov’s return clipped the top of the tape and sat up. Tsitsipas swooped in and clubbed a diagonal forehand. That sequence helped the Greek go up 5-4.
The 32-year-old Dimitrov had won 18 of 19 net points as he held to force the second-set tiebreaker.
That’s when Tsitsipas found a higher gear.
Though he hadn’t had a sniff of a break point, Tsitisipas hammered some heavy forehands to earn a series of mini breaks. Tsitsipas surged to a 6-0 tiebreaker lead and snatched the second set on a Dimitrov error to force a final set after 98 minutes.
Exuding calm intensity in the face of his first break point stress of the day, Dimitrov denied four break points in all, including slamming down a smash, as he held for 2-1.
Landing his first serve with menace, Tsitsipas torched through a three-ace game leveling at 4-all.
Down the stretch, both men were dominant on serve.
Tsitsipas slashed successive aces to force the final tiebreaker.
The Greek, who had been so strong at net, pushed a forehand volley into net, ceding the mini break and a 2-0 lead. Tsitsipas compounded his issues, dragging a crosscourt forehand wide on the next point.
Transforming a tremendous running dig into a glorious rainbow lob, Dimitrov caught the very edge of the baseline going up 4-0.
Rifling a running backhand pass crosscourt, Dimitrov extended his lead to 5-0.
A stunning, running forehand pass down the line brought Dimitrov four match points at 6-2.
Tsitsipas saved the first match point jamming a diagonal forehand into the corner.
On the second match point, Dimitrov measured a backhand pass and blasted it cleanly crosscourt jumping with joy and landing in the Paris final—his first Masters final since 2017.
Still buzzing from his best week of the season, Dimitrov signed the court-side camera then kissed it.