Dimitrov Returns With Delray Beach Win In Tough Conditions

Back on the court for the first time since a second-round Australian Open loss, Grigor Dimitrov got back in the win column late Thursday night in Delray. The third seed and tournament wild card was a 7-6(4), 6-3 winner over American qualifier Mitchell Krueger at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com.

Venus Williams and Serena Williams were in attendance for the Bulgarian’s evening match on Thursday, with Venus arriving in the afternoon to watch Reilly Opelka’s win over Jack Sock.

Doing his best to put on a show in windy and wet conditions, Dimitrov saved a pair of break points in both the ninth and 11th games of the opening set. He summoned just enough shotmaking at the crucial moments, including a flicked backhand pass to escape trouble at 5-all, deuce, as he secured the opening set.

“It’s always very tough [in your opening match], especially playing the last match on,” Dimitrov said following the victory. “I’ve been here for a week already and I was eager to get out there and play. Today was just a match I had to get through. Very tough conditions: rain, wind, cold, hot. It is what it is, and you’ve got to deal with it.”

Drawing confidence from a well-played tie-break, the Bulgarian created break points in his first three return games of the second set, converting in the latter two. He failed to consolidate the initial break, but used a love hold to back up the second.

Firmly in the ascendancy, Dimitrov showed his full range as he broke in the match’s final game. He won points from the baseline and net, and another with a classy pickup as he booked his quarter-final berth.

The former World No. 3 will face John Millman on Friday, after the Aussie beat Marcos Giron, 6-3, 7-6(8), earlier in the day.

Dimitrov closed the Thursday evening session after Adrian Mannarino opened it with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win over Brandon Nakashima. The match was decided by just a few crucial points as the Frenchman produced some magic on a pair of break points, most notably with an on-the-run forehand pass to break for 6-5 in the third.

Can you think of a better way to break at 5-5 in the final set?

Nope. 🔥🔥 @AdrianMannarino#DBOpen pic.twitter.com/q4vXtuxOkU

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 18, 2022

The seventh seed served the match out to love to book a quarter-final matchup with second seed Reilly Opelka. It’s Mannarino’s ninth appearance in Delray, with his best result coming in a semi-final run in 2015.

Opelka, the newly crowned Dallas Open champion, broke away late in a 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-1 win over Jack Sock. He earned a crucial mini-break with a backhand down-the-line winner in the second tie-break and never looked back.

“I knew I needed to be tough in the breaker and I couldn’t just play balls in the court because he was going to go for it,” Opelka said, noting he sensed his compatriot tiring late in the second set. “I really was happy that I was still able to be aggressive… I think I did the right thing, played chess out there, and I got the mini-break when I needed it.”

The World No. 20, who lives near the Delray site, saved the only break point he faced, midway through the opening set.