Revivalist: Dimitrov Repels Rublev for Second US Open Quarterfinal

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, September 1, 2024

NEW YORK—Grigor Dimitrov credits periods of digital detox for his competitive calm.

Today, Dimitrov excluded cool aggression to battle into his second US Open quarterfinal.

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The 33-year-old Dimitrov out-dueled Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6(3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 advancing to his eighth career Grand Slam quarterfinal.

“I was playing fairly good I think the first two sets,” Dimitrov told Blair Henley afterward. “But I don’t know for some reason my body was starting to lose its rhythm. He’s not going to give up the match. I just had to stay patience. I think today the biggest thing that helped me was my experience—and then you guys.

“I love that atmosphere here. It brings back so many good memories of 2019. So I was like: Why not? Another five-setter. So we’re in a good path.”

It’s a milestone moment for the 2019 US Open semifinalist. Dimitrov scored his 450th Tour-level win and become the first man born in the 1990s to earn 300 career hard-court wins.

Before a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that included his good friend, six-time US Open champion Serena Williams, as well as musicians Alicia Keys and John Mayer, Dimitrov deployed his all-court skills to stop the hard-hitting Rublev.

The ninth-seeded Dimitrov avenged a straight-sets loss to Rublev at the 2017 US Open holding his nerve and serve down the stretch.

“She gave me a good pep talk yesterday so I’m thrilled [to be in the quarterfinals],” Dimitrov said of good friend Serena Williams.

The 2017 ATP Finals champion Dimitrov awaits the winner of tonight’s fourth-round showdown between 2022 semifinalist Frances Tiafoe and Montreal champion Alexei Popyrin, who dethroned defending champion Novak Djokovic on Friday night.

An introspective Dimitrov said small stretches of digital detox have helped him find inner peace—a quality he’s carried on court in this revival season.

“I think there are times throughout the day where, as I said, I take some time for myself to just go for a walk and put my phone away,” Dimitrov said. “There is always like a period throughout the day that I always take for myself, and I think that’s also what I’m very happy with. It’s a work.

“It’s an internal work, as well. It’s not just outside. It’s not just stepping out on the center court. It’s a lot of work on the court. Of course the fitness, you know, the nutrition, the sleep, rest, and all that. But lastly, don’t ever forget yourself, because just as the tennis, the sport, everything is so important to you, you don’t need to forget your inner world, your inner peace.

“And I work hard on that. Of course there’s always two sides of everything, so you need to make sure you feed the right wolf.”

At an age when some of his peers see younger, hungrier players chewing up their hopes, Dimitrov is applying his all-court arsenal shrewdly.

Mixing higher topspin with low slice off his backhand to unsettle Rublev, Dimitrov lashed a one-handed backhand winner down the line then induced an error breaking for a 3-1 lead in the final set.

Bolting a 129 mph ace down the T, Dimitrov backed up the break at 15 extending his lead to 4-1. At closing time, the veteran Dimitrov showed no trace of nerves sealing this victory in three hours, 39 minutes.