C
Cenarius
Guest
What you think?
I think the biggest roadblock for him is that he's a choker. It took him 4 match points to win today, 4 match points yesterday and the commentators reeled off a long list of matches that he's lost in the last 12 months having had multiple match points. I think he'll make a final, likely get himself into a winning position, but fear he might clutch defeat from the jaws of victory.
MugOpponent
Hall of Fame
I'm going with yes. I think there will be enough of a window for him between big 3 decline and next gen to pull off about three slams. I can easily see him following the Wawrinka plan.
Legend of Borg
G.O.A.T.
i'm concerned with how long it took him to close out goffin
he resorted to just spinning the ball back and hoping for an UE, completely flat play and very disappointing to see
i really wasn't happy with how he ended up winning but i supposed it's the end result that matters
still, that tactic won't work against fedalovic
he resorted to just spinning the ball back and hoping for an UE, completely flat play and very disappointing to see
i really wasn't happy with how he ended up winning but i supposed it's the end result that matters
still, that tactic won't work against fedalovic
TheAverageFedererFan
Professional
I think he will.
N
nikdom
Guest
Predicting stuff especially betting against a talented player is always foolish. That said, I have a hard time envisioning him beating 2 or 3 quality players back to back in a best-of-five week 2 of a slam right now. In the future perhaps...who knows.
kishnabe
Talk Tennis Guru
If he plays like 2017 AO, 2014+2017 SW19. He has a shot then.
WTF was a great result, RR -SF he played really aggressive. In the final...he rolled his shots, Passive when it matters. Credit to Goffin for stepping up, Dimitrov was very fortunate to win the match.
Goffin would have destroyed him, had he served anything like he did against Federer. Too many breaks in the match.
WTF was a great result, RR -SF he played really aggressive. In the final...he rolled his shots, Passive when it matters. Credit to Goffin for stepping up, Dimitrov was very fortunate to win the match.
Goffin would have destroyed him, had he served anything like he did against Federer. Too many breaks in the match.
Red Rick
Talk Tennis Guru
I'm a fanboy. I would love if he won a few.
Now, objectively, it's a really complicated question in this case. Grigor Dimitrov keeps showing he has all the fancy tools to be a great player. He wins the WTF playing playing suboptimal in the final against red hot Goffin.
I feel Dimitrov has all the tools a player can have, yet I think that the quality of his basic tools is lacking. He can basically do everything, but when nearly all breaks down, he doesn't have much to rely on to get through the toughest matches. He's an incredible athlete, he has a great, varied game, he can construct wonderful points, but his 1-2 combo and return aren't good enough. He doesn't dominate his serve games and his returns aren't good enough to make up for that. His serve breaks down a bit under pressure, he's a bit of a choker in certain situations, and his returns aren't among the very elite. So he's stuck dominating rallies. And in rallies he's not so dominant that he doesn't give opponents a chance to hit the first strike.
If he doesn't improve in the next few years I do not think that Grigor Dimitrov will win Grand Slams. But I do think he has a lot of room to improve still.
Now, objectively, it's a really complicated question in this case. Grigor Dimitrov keeps showing he has all the fancy tools to be a great player. He wins the WTF playing playing suboptimal in the final against red hot Goffin.
I feel Dimitrov has all the tools a player can have, yet I think that the quality of his basic tools is lacking. He can basically do everything, but when nearly all breaks down, he doesn't have much to rely on to get through the toughest matches. He's an incredible athlete, he has a great, varied game, he can construct wonderful points, but his 1-2 combo and return aren't good enough. He doesn't dominate his serve games and his returns aren't good enough to make up for that. His serve breaks down a bit under pressure, he's a bit of a choker in certain situations, and his returns aren't among the very elite. So he's stuck dominating rallies. And in rallies he's not so dominant that he doesn't give opponents a chance to hit the first strike.
If he doesn't improve in the next few years I do not think that Grigor Dimitrov will win Grand Slams. But I do think he has a lot of room to improve still.
uscwang
Hall of Fame
I say he still has a long way to go.
Yes, he beat top 10 players 5 times to win the WTF title. But the people he beat were Thiem (#4), Goffinx2 (#8), Pablo Carreno Busta (#9), and Sock (#10). This is not a list so impressive as to extrapolate Dimitrov's career into 2018, when many of the big guns are coming back.
At GS, I'll put him behind Big 3, Murray, Stan, Delpo, Nishikori, and Kyrgios, at the level of Raonic, Zverev, Thiem, and Cilic.
Yes, he beat top 10 players 5 times to win the WTF title. But the people he beat were Thiem (#4), Goffinx2 (#8), Pablo Carreno Busta (#9), and Sock (#10). This is not a list so impressive as to extrapolate Dimitrov's career into 2018, when many of the big guns are coming back.
At GS, I'll put him behind Big 3, Murray, Stan, Delpo, Nishikori, and Kyrgios, at the level of Raonic, Zverev, Thiem, and Cilic.
True Fanerer
G.O.A.T.
- This pertains to next year only. Won't predict further.
- Fedal falls off in 2018.
- Djokovic & Murray fail to successfully come back from injury.
- Dimitrov has his best chance before next Gen fully develops.
- *if
leejayh
Rookie
Dimitrov is fun to watch - but agree that he lacks a go to winning play. I like watching him because he has a classic looking game. OHBH, attacking style, etc. But, he does not seem to have the put away power on points. Seems to have to work too hard compared to others. My biggest problem is his serve. Oddly, he serves 130+ but no one seems to have any problem returning. That serving motion of his is not the most elegant, and my bet is that he telegraphs which way he is serving - which is why no one seems to have much trouble returning it. It is the biggest weakness in his game IMO.
Forehand_Slice
Semi-Pro
As long as he doesn't run into top players, he'll have his chances.
This year, he was very fortunate in his AO draw where he made the semis. Fourth round match was against an exhausted Istomin, instead of Djokovic. Had they met, Dimitrov most likely would've lost.
French Open seems out of the question. His worst surface, and his best results were Round 3, only thanks to fortunate draw.
His best chance is Wimbledon. Though I would say, his chances of winning are still low. Even a less rounded player like Raonic, has a better chance to win it.
This year, he was very fortunate in his AO draw where he made the semis. Fourth round match was against an exhausted Istomin, instead of Djokovic. Had they met, Dimitrov most likely would've lost.
French Open seems out of the question. His worst surface, and his best results were Round 3, only thanks to fortunate draw.
His best chance is Wimbledon. Though I would say, his chances of winning are still low. Even a less rounded player like Raonic, has a better chance to win it.
TripleATeam
Legend
Probably not, but I wouldn't say he had no chance.
thomasferrett
Hall of Fame
I don't think he'll make another final in his career
Bukmeikara
Legend
Its a coin flip I think. He is not that good to be a lock like Zverev but certanly with a bit of chance he could would even snatch 2-3.
Best chance is probably Wimbledon because competition there is rather slim- Wawa, Nadal, Del Potro, Djokovic should be past their best results while Nishikori, Thiem would hardly improve. That leaves Federer, Murray, Raonic, Zverev and Cilic for the next 1-2 years.
Best chance is probably Wimbledon because competition there is rather slim- Wawa, Nadal, Del Potro, Djokovic should be past their best results while Nishikori, Thiem would hardly improve. That leaves Federer, Murray, Raonic, Zverev and Cilic for the next 1-2 years.
Federer and Del Potro
Talk Tennis Guru
No unless a draw completely implodes.
He doesn't have the mental game to beat Federer/Djokovic/Nadal unless they're playing considerably below their best.
By the time they're all gone, he'll be pretty old himself and new people will inevitably be a challenge.
He doesn't have the mental game to beat Federer/Djokovic/Nadal unless they're playing considerably below their best.
By the time they're all gone, he'll be pretty old himself and new people will inevitably be a challenge.
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Red Rick
Talk Tennis Guru
I don't think it's been that bad. He obviously had a slump after winning Sofia, and he hasn't played at the level of his start of the year consistently. I think Dimitrov overplayed at the start of the year, and then he was on the downhill by the time the Sunshine Double came around. Losing to Rublev was his only really bad loss at a slam, and at Wimbledon he just had the worst draw he could've had.
He has like 3 bad losses in total at ATP 1000 and above off clay. That said, he still has to improve. And there is quite obviously still room to improve, which isn't a given for a YE#3
Red Rick
Talk Tennis Guru
I honestly don't think Zverev is a lock to win Slams.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Where did you get the idea that Zverev is a lock to win slams?
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Below Kyrgios? You're joking, right? Kyrgios has done very little in GS.
On the level of Zverev with no quarters? At the level of Thiem who blows on 2/3 surfaces? Disagree.
Wittgenstein
New User
Definitely. 2018 or 2019 will be his first slam. If he doesn't win his first in the next 2 years he won't ever.
tennisenthusiast
Hall of Fame
Maybe doubles slam but not singles slam.
metsman
G.O.A.T.
Losing to Federer at Wimby is fine but the way he lost was pretty bad. Raonic/Berdych put up more of a fight. I really thought Dimitrov was on the short list of contenders for Wimby, or at least that after his AO run he would be.
Red Rick
Talk Tennis Guru
That's true. But looking at gamestyles, Federer's game is 100% suited to crush Dimitrov, so I don't think it's weird that Dimitrov underperformed.
MarcusInKensington
Hall of Fame
Yes. All he needs is for there to be a nuclear war, with him and Kyle Edmund the sole survivors. I think he’d get it done on the 12th match point.
Sudacafan
Talk Tennis Guru
It depends
pnw_hardcourt
Rookie
You're absolutely right, but now you've got to factor in these wins to the equation. Confidence comes with winning tough ones. Historically he always choked but this year he battled hard ones and has been coming through numerous times.
I wonder if he has a sort of tipping point in his future where he shifts from "I want to win" to "I'm going to win", with the experience to back it up.
InsideOut900
Hall of Fame
Yes, he is gonna defend the Cincy title.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Yes, Backerer and Knee-dal can't hold him off forever.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
And shoulderovic?
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Unfortunately, basically being gone since the FO, he's going to be way too hungry to be denied
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
The playboy is ready to grow up and win a slam.
2018 shall be the year of Dimitrov.
So be it.
2018 shall be the year of Dimitrov.
So be it.
Freddy Cat
Professional
Of course he will.
