Watch Dimitrov: Result Shows Why He's Rafa

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Watch Dimitrov: Result Shows Why He's Rafa

Grigor Dimitrov confirmed a few important conclusions from his epic Australian Open semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal.

The 15th-seeded Bulgarian believes he can compete with the game’s elite in the best-of-five-set Grand Slam format and 14-time Grand Slam champion Nadal remains the game’s supreme fighter.

Watch: Nadal Fights Into Australian Open Final

“Rafa deserves pretty much all the credit right now since he's such a fighter, such a competitor,” Dimitrov said after falling in a four hour, 56-minute thriller. “At the same time it was an honor for me to play a match like that against him. It also shows me that I'm in a good way, I'm on the right path.

“I'm sure I'm going to look back at that match and see what I could have done better. But at least one thing I can say is that I left it all out on the court. I'm proud of that.”

Empowered by the confidence that came from an undefeated record he carried into the final, Dimitrov cracked 79 winners in the match.

A fierce Nadal fought off 12 of 16 break points he faced prevailing in a classic that was the longest match of Dimitrov’s career.

“It's so nice to be part of it. Unfortunately not the way I wanted things to be,” Dimitrov said. “On the other side, I had a super experience with that player, in the face of Rafa. As I said, I mean, he really shows why he's Rafa today.”

While Dimitrov wouldn't pick a winner in Sunday's final between Nadal and Roger Federer, whom Dimitrov modeled his game after, like most of the tennis world he will be watching.

"We've seen all kind of scenarios in the past when those two are playing. It's not a place for me to comment on that, to be honest," Dimitrov said. "I just know that two of the greatest players of tennis are going to square off on Sunday, and it's going to be a freakin' amazing match."

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

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