Dimitrov On Miami Campaign: 'You Fight With What You Have'
23 March 2019 10:15
The old adage of taking it one match a time fully applies to Grigor Dimitrov this fortnight.
The Bulgarian had been sidelined since the Australian Open with a shoulder injury and was unsure if he’d be able to compete at the Miami Open presented by Itau. But after deciding to take the court on Saturday against Feliciano Lopez. Dimitrov showed no signs of match rust in his 6-1, 6-3 win to reach the third round.
“I didn’t even think I was going to play here, so I got a chance to play and wanted to make the most of it,” said Dimitrov. “It’s been a long road for me since Australia, so I just wanted to come on the court and spread my wings a little bit.”
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Dimitrov was forced to withdraw from ATP Tour events last month in Rotterdam and Acapulco while continuing to rehab his shoulder. He underwent treatment in Monte-Carlo, where his doctor lives, before testing out the injury with a week of practice before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
His lack of serving practice over the past month wasn’t evident, with the No. 24 seed not facing a break point and winning 85 per cent of his first-serve points. But despite the impressive stats, what pleased Dimitrov most is that his shoulder held up throughout the contest.
“It’s been a lot of time off the court. I could still do my fitness and maintain my game, but I couldn’t serve for over a month. I’ve been going through a lot of treatments, a lot of rehab, a lot of everything,” said Dimitrov. “To come and play sort of pain-free is nice… the repetitions and hitting take time, so I’m not expecting too much of myself this tournament.”
Dimitrov is in a section of the draw that could suit him well. He’s the on-paper favorite in his next match against Aussie Jordan Thompson and could face sixth seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the fourth round, who is also competing in his first tournament since Melbourne. Dimitrov leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 6-2.
But the Bulgarian is adamant he’s not thinking beyond his next match. In fact, he’s not thinking beyond his next night of sleep.
“The only thing I’m thinking of is how my shoulder is doing tomorrow morning. I just want to wake up and not have that much pain,” said Dimitrov. “I’m little bit limited on a couple of things, but it is what it is. Whether it’s on the court or off the court, you fight with what you have.”.readfullarticle
