Dimitrov opens clay season with tough Verdasco win
Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov started his clay-court season by grinding a three-set win against Fernando Verdasco of Spain (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters on April 14.
Dimitrov has had a rollercoaster start to the season and continued the trend in Monte-Carlo, dominating the first set before committing too many unforced errors in the second and then nearly blowing a two-break lead in the third.
In all, Dimitrov faced 17 break points over nearly two and a half hours, saving all but two of them, while converting three of his own 10 break points.
He will next play Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the second round, with a possible match against defending champion Stan Wawrinka looming in the third round. Dimitrov and Fognini have met twice before, splitting their two matches on hard courts in 2013.
(Grigor Dimitrov, photo: mirsasha/flickr.com)
