A late entry into the main draw, Grigor Dimitrov made the most of his wildcard as he stormed through victory in Bucharest without dropping a set.
The young Bulgarian has been putting together some solid performances lately, highlighted by the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the title in Acapulco. Seeded first in Bucharest, Dimitrov was game on since the beginning of the tournament, battling not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody weather—heavy rain showers disrupting play several times throughout the week.
It's been a relatively uneventful ride for Grigor in the Romanian capital, as he claimed straight-sets victories over Jiri Vasely and Sergiy Stakhovski to set a star-studded semifinal showdown with fan favourite Gael Monfils. Unfortunately, the much anticipated clash ended sooner than expected, the Frenchman pulling out because of a twisted ankle while trailing 5-1.
It's been a relatively uneventful ride for Grigor in the Romanian capital, as he claimed straight-sets victories over Jiri Vasely and Sergiy Stakhovski to set a star-studded semifinal showdown with fan favourite Gael Monfils. Unfortunately, the much anticipated clash ended sooner than expected, the Frenchman pulling out because of a twisted ankle while trailing 5-1.
With his family cheering in the front rows, Dimitrov delivered an exquisite display against defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, in the final. He sealed a tense first set tiebreak before cruising through the second act to close out a convincing 7-6,6-1 triumph. “It feels good to have won,” said the Bulgarian. “I lifted my game, not having been happy with my previous matches in the tournament. I knew I had to lift my level, especially after the first set. Lukas is a very good winner, who hit some outstanding winners. It was a pleasure to play in front of Ilie Nastase and other greats.
“I have worked really hard to start winning titles. I have put in enough effort, time and sacrifices to get here,” said the Bulgarian who bagged his second crown of 2014.
What's next in store for Dimitrov? A first Grand Slam maybe. He is proving stronger as the season progresses, so I wouldn't be surprised to see his take that ultimate step anytime soon.
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| Dimitrov put together a solid performance to beat not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody Bucharest weather. The Bulgarian denied defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, 7-6,6-1 in the final to bag his second title of 2014. |
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