Grigor Dimitrov overcomes rocky start to advance at Australian Open

NEW DELHI: Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov overcame a difficult start to defeat Marton Fucsovics and advance to the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Dimitrov, seeded 13th in the tournament, clinched a hard-fought victory with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 on the sunny John Cain Arena.

Despite struggling with the challenging conditions, the 32-year-old veteran remained confident in his physical fitness.

"I knew my game wasn't at its best, but I relied on my physicality today," Dimitrov stated. It was evident from the beginning that he was off to a rough start, losing the first eight points and struggling to find his rhythm. Fucsovics took advantage of Dimitrov's 19 unforced errors to secure the first set.

Facing the possibility of an early exit, Dimitrov was determined to turn the tide. After being broken early in the second set, he quickly bounced back and leveled the match. The third set remained tightly contested, with neither player able to secure a break. However, Dimitrov took control in the tie-break, winning it convincingly with just one point dropped.

By the fourth set, Dimitrov seemed like a completely different player compared to the start of the match. He broke Fucsovics' serve twice and significantly reduced his own unforced errors to six. With a 6-2 set victory, Dimitrov sealed his spot in the next round.

In the second round, Dimitrov will face either Sebastian Ofner or Thanasi Kokkinakis.

(With inputs from AFP)


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