The final set of the match went to a tie-break with the Bulgarian recording a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) win over the Pole.
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Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov recorded a thrilling victory over 11th seed Hubert Hurkacz to reach the semi-final of the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters. The final set of the match went to a tie-break with the Bulgarian recording a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) win over the Pole. Dimitrov’s form at the Monte Carlo Masters has been exceptional so far. He beat Casper Ruud in the third round to reach the quarters. With the French Open coming up, Dimitrov will be quite pleased with how he has been performing on clay so far this season.
Dimitrov converted four aces but was outmatched in that particular department by Hurkacz, who smashed 11. The Bulgarian also committed a couple of double faults while his opponent did not make one. The numbers swing in Dimitrov’s favour when it comes to the win percentage on the first and second serves. With 78% on the first serve to Hurkcz’s 73% and 63% to 53% on the second, Dimitrov clearly held the advantage.
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When it comes to break points, the Bulgarian converted three out of eight while Hurkacz scored three out of four. The Pole was marginally ahead when it came to service games won with 13 compared to Dimitrov’s `12. If the stats are to be believed, one can say that it was quite a tight encounter.
In a tense deciding set, neither player gave an inch, and the pair traded breaks twice, but Dimitrov found something extra at the end. In the tie-break, the he used a variety of shots to force a frustrated Hurkacz into a series of errors, and the highest-ranked Bulgarian player in history won in two hours and 27 minutes.
Dimitrov will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semi-final of the competition.
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated 10th seed Taylor Fritz 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters semi-finals, advancing to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. Before defeating Marrakech champion David Goffin in the third round, the Spaniard upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round and showed high levels of confidence against Fritz on Court Rainier III to back up that win. The 22-year-old played with a high level of intensity, widening his groundstrokes to pull Fritz around the court. Davidovich Fokina’s shotmaking and fist-pumping kept the crowd engaged throughout, and he advanced after two hours and 24 minutes.
