Dimitrov stumbles against Murray in Cincinnati
Grigor Dimitrov’s disappointing season continued with a third-round exit at the Cincinnati Masters, losing to world number two Andy Murray 6-4, 6-7, 5-7 despite going two breaks up in each of the last two sets.
The Bulgarian, a year removed from breaking into the ATP Tour top 10 and now ranked 17th, has failed to replicate last season’s form, which saw him win three titles on different surfaces and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, and has recently parted ways with his Australian coach Roger Rasheed.
But the change has made little impact on Dimitrov’s game, with early exits to lower-ranked opponents in Washington and Montreal coming earlier this month.
In Cincinnati, the last tournament before the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, Dimitrov has once again struggled in the earlier rounds. Against Murray, he led 4-1 in the second set and 5-2 in the third, but failed to put the match away and score another signature win.
“I was happy with the way I played at least, but that’s about it,” he said after the match, as quoted by the ATP website. “I had too many opportunities. That’s the only thing. If that you have many and you don’t I want to say that’s about it. Everything else felt pretty good. The body held up well for three hours, so good things ahead.”
(Photo: usopen.org)
