It’s been a long time coming, but Grigor Dimitrov has won his first title since 2017 and it took him two-hours and 16-minutes to dispatch the title favourite, Holger Rune, for the Brisbane International title played out on the Pat Rafter Arena.
It’s been a while since I held one of these Grigor Dimitrov
In the intervening seven years, the Bulgarian has reached three finals but failed to add to his tally of 8 titles until Sunday when he beat the top seeded Dane 7-6(5) 6-4.
It was the 32-year-olds third appearance in a Brisbane final, emerging as champion for the first time in 2017 and, while the event might lack the stature of his last success that same year at the ATP Finals, it must have felt like it bearing in mind the length of his title drought!
“It’s been a while since I held one of these,” an emotional Dimitrov said on receiving the trophy from Aussie hero Pat Rafter.
“It’s a very interesting era that I’m at. It’s like I’m getting a second wind not only in my sport but in my life with the things,” Dimitrov said after beating Aussie Jordan Thompson in the semifinals.
In earning his ninth career tour-level crown, Dimitrov should rise one place to 13 when Monday’s world-ranking listings are published but he hopes to improve on that and eventually return into the top which he last graced on October 29, 2018
Both finalists held their serve in the opening set making a tiebreak inevitable and here, the Bulgarian jumped into a 3-0 lead with a double mini break after Rune mistimed a backhand which he followed with a forehand error.
Dimitrov eventually took the set on his third set point.
In the second Rune survived a 24-point game and three break points to hold for 2-1 but Dimitrov was on top form and held on absorbing the 20-year-old Dane’s aggression.
At 3-3, Dimitrov looped a crosscourt backhand pass from the behind the middle of the baseline as he took control and earned himself two more break points thanks to a series of Rune’s forehand errors leading to the Dane smashing his racket when broken on the second.
Then the Dane staved off a pair of championship points to hold for 4-5, before Dimitrov served it out at love, finishing I off with a delicate backhand drop volley winner.
Grigor Dimitrov poses with Holger Rune and Pat Rafter after the presentations
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
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