Dimitrov Earns 300th Tour-Level Win In Vienna

Grigor Dimitrov earned his 300th tour-level win on Monday evening in Vienna, defeating qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 7-5 to reach the second round of the Erste Bank Open.

“I think it was one of those matches that I really had to go through. I was very determined in my own game to find that rhythm. I still believe that I could have done a few things better,” Dimitrov said. “I think it was great to be able to come through in straight sets. I think the thing that I was most happy with is definitely my composure and the way I kept on going throughout the whole match.”

The Bulgarian, who claimed his first tour-level victory at Rotterdam in 2009 against Tomas Berdych, has claimed 20 wins against opponents inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings during his career. Dimitrov, an eight-time ATP Tour titlist, has won 199 of his matches on hard courts (199-125). 

Dimitrov will face a tough test in the next round against third seed Matteo Berrettini, who is making a push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. But Dimitrov will be confident, having turned his season around last month by reaching the US Open semi-finals.

“He’s been playing well. I think in that particular situation I want to say that it’s going to be a great match. I think above all, everything suits him more at the moment because obviously he’s got a few matches behind his back throughout the year,” Dimitrov said. “[He’s] very confident, which I’m sure he’s going to go for a lot of his favourite shots and he’s going to try to play his game. But at the same time, I think with each match I gain confidence and each match is just as important for me.”

This is the 28-year-old’s second appearance in Vienna, where he lost in the first round last year. Dimitrov won 55 per cent of his return points against the World No. 92 to take a 4-0 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. This was their first match that did not go to a deciding set.