Dimitrov Reaches First US Open Quarterfinal In Five Years

Grigor Dimitrov, US Open
Grigor Dimitrov (photo: Jeff Dean/USTA)

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 2, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

A decade ago, Grigor Dimitrov achieved multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals in a season, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Now, the 33-year-old Bulgarian, ranked ninth, is enjoying a career renaissance in 2024.

Dimitrov is through to his second major quarterfinal of the season – the eighth major last eight of his career – and first quarterfinal at the US Open in five years after outlasting World No. 6 Andrey Rublev of Russia, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3, in three hours and 39 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium with the roof closed Sunday afternoon.

The victory over Rublev was the 450th tour-level win of Dimitrov’s career – he’s 450-286 – and he’s the first player born in the 1990s to earn 300 hard court wins (300-184). The win improved Dimitrov to 37-13 for the season.

The ninth-seeded Dimitrov kept his cool when his levels dipped in the third and fourth sets, and he received plenty of encouragement throughout the fourth-round match from six-time US Open champion Serena Williams, who knows a thing or two about winning big and important matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was playing fairly good, I think, for the first two sets,” Dimitrov said during his on-court interview. “But for some reason my body was starting to lose its rhythm a little bit and he was not going to just give up the match. You know how he is. I just had to stay patient and I think today the biggest thing that helped me was my experience and [the crowd].”

By the end, when Dimitrov won one final 12-shot rally on match point, he had outpointed Rublev by a mere two points, 153-151. Dimitrov hit 17 aces and 41 overall winners that overcame 12 double faults and 67 unforced errors. He converted three of 10 break-point chances while saving 13 of 18 break points he faced. Rublev countered with 21 aces and 47 winners but also made 59 unforced errors.

Next, Dimitrov, the oldest player remaining in the men’s draw, hopes to continue his remarkable run in Flushing Meadows by reaching the US Open semifinals for the first time. In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, he will face No. 20 seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States, who fought past No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3, in three hours and two minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium late Sunday night to reach his third straight US Open quarterfinal and fourth major quarterfinal overall.

“I’m going to enjoy tonight. I’m trying to enjoy every single moment and I’m celebrating every day that I get to be out here,” Dimitrov said, smiling. “I’m just focusing on myself. I’ve had very tough weeks, with my body and everything. So I just want to focus on my rehab and the good things that I did today, things that I can improve, just keep it as basic as possible, and I’m thrilled to be through to the second week.”

Navarro dethrones defending champion Gauff

After back-to-back first-round exits at the US Open, No. 13 seed Emma Navarro is now riding high on a wave of self-confidence in her third home major. On Sunday afternoon, the 23-year-old New York-born Navarro stormed into the quarterfinal round with a convincing 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 upset of World No. 3 and defending US Open champion Coco Gauff.

For the second major in a row, these two American stars – and Olympic teammates – matched up in the fourth round. Like Wimbledon before, Navarro prevailed over the No. 3 seed from Florida. She played controlled and aggressive tennis throughout their two-hour, 13-minute match before a capacity crowd that filled cavernous 25,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was Navarro’s first time playing on Ashe. It’s an experience she’ll always remember.

While Navarro strung together 20 winners and broke her opponent’s serve four times, the 20-year-old Gauff became unhinged by an uncharacteristic 60 unforced errors and 19 double faults. She was able to only place 46 percent of her first serves in play and hit just 14 winners. By the end, Navarro had outpointed Gauff 100-88 to advance into Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.

“I lost in the first round the last two years, so now to be in the quarterfinals, it’s pretty insane,” the World No. 12 Navarro said in her on-court interview after her victory. “This is the city I was born in, and it feels so special to play here.”

Next, Navarro will play No. 24 seed Paula Badosa of Spain. Earlier Sunday, Badosa became the first Spanish woman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Carla Suarez Navarro in 2018 with her 82-minute 6-1, 6-2 victory over 80th-ranked Wang Yafan of China on Louis Armstrong Court.

The World No. 29 saved all eight break points she faced from Wang and converted four of five break-point opportunities of her own. She finished with 26 winners, including a forehand winner on match point that capped a nine-shot rally, and outpointed her opponent 67-49 to garner her first US Open quarterfinal berth. It’s her first major quarterfinal since Roland-Garros in 2021.

Badosa, who last month captured the DC Open hard-court tune-up in Washington, D.C., has won 14 of her last 16 matches. The emotions came flooding out as soon as Badosa secured her fourth-round victory.

“I don’t want to cry because last year I was here and had to withdraw,” Badosa said in her on-court interview. “I couldn’t play the tournament. For me, it was really sad. Being back here a year later with my best result in a slam is a dream come true. I never thought about it.

“A few months ago, I was thinking to quit this sport because I stopped believing in myself and my injury wasn’t responding. So, being back in one of the best places in the world is a dream come true.”

Now, Badosa has become the fourth Spanish woman to reach the final eight at Flushing Meadows in the Open Era, joining Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Conchita Martinez and Suarez Navarro.

Fritz, Zverev set quarterfinal showdown after comeback victories

No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz of the United States secured his third Top-10 win at a major with his 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 8 seed Casper Ruud of Norway on Louis Armstrong Stadium with the roof closed Sunday afternoon.

The victory, in two hours and 43 minutes, lifted Fritz into his second straight US Open quarterfinal and it gained him revenge for losing to Ruud in the fourth round at Roland-Garros earlier this year. Fritz struck 56 winners to Ruud’s 32 and was boosted by the energy of the home crowd that filled the second-largest venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“I just had to stay in it because I felt like he outplayed me in the first set. I had some chances, he had some chances and he took them,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “He was playing well and I did a really good job to fight at the start of the second to get through some tight service games and apply some scoreboard pressure. I feel his level then maybe dropped a little bit. I was getting more looks on second serves and I could just get through it from there.”

Fritz, who will be trying to advance to his first major semifinal on Tuesday after reaching four major quarterfinals, will face No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany. The World No. 4 hit 51 winners and earned his 450th career victory by defeating unseeded American Brandon Nakashima, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, in two hours and 36 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium Sunday evening. It lifted him into his fourth US Open quarterfinal.

“I am taking it one match at a time to be honest. I think that can add more pressure,” Fritz said. “I came in 2022 saying I could win it and I lost first round. I think it is good to take it one match at a time.”

If Fritz’s philosophy is one match at a time, for Zverev it’s one set at a time. He reset against the 50th-ranked Nakashima and dominated from the second set on to earn his tour-leading 56th win of the season. He won 89 percent of his first serves, prevailed in 20 of 25 net-point opportunities and outpointed his opponent 114-80.

“I was extremely defensive at the beginning of the match and Brandon used it very well and played an awesome set,” Zverev said in his post-match interview. “I knew that I had to step up my game and take the ball on the rise more and I did well today and I am happy to be back in the quarterfinals.”

Around the US Open

Last year’s runner-up, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus eased past No. 33 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-2, 6-4, behind 41 winners in an hour and 37 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium Sunday night to secure her fourth straight US Open quarterfinal. Along with being a 2023 finalist, Sabalenka reached the semifinals in both 2021 and 2022.

The World No. 2 is first woman to advance to four consecutive US Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams reached six in a row between 2011 and 2016.

Next, Sabalenka will face No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen of China, who eliminated No. 24 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2, in two hours and 50 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium early Monday. It was a rematch of the Paris Olympics gold medal match, also won by Zheng.

The Zheng-Vekic match ended at 2:15 a.m., making it the latest finish of a women’s match in tournament history.

Sunday’s US Open results

Monday’s US Open order of play

By the numbers

• Women’s No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland defeated No. 25 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, 6-4, 6-2, in 92 minutes without facing a break point on Arthur Ashe Stadium Saturday evening to reach her fourth consecutive fourth-round at the US Open.

During her on-court interview with ESPN’s Darren Cahill, she was asked what areas of her game she felt she could improve upon.

“I think everywhere honestly. It’s not like my tennis is perfect. It sometimes feels weird because I’ve been No. 1 and winning these tournaments, but I still feel like really, I need to work on some stuff,” Swiatek said. “But since I started working with Tomasz (her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski), I’ve been feeling like I have more variety and options on court. I’ll try to give them more opportunities to smile because for sure it’s not easy for the coach to smile. So, I’ll try to play the best tennis possible so we all can enjoy it.”

• With his 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 31 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy on Arthur Ashe Stadium Saturday night, No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia has now reached the fourth round of the US Open in six consecutive years. He won the US Open title in 2021 and was a finalist in 2019 and 2023.

“Quotable …”

“… To me upsets don’t really matter. The conditions are a bit tricky. The favorites maybe have less margin against the other guys. Just have to be more cautious. If I play good tennis I can win the whole thing. If I don’t play good, I can lose against anyone. I just have to play my best and try to win.”

— No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, during his on-court interview after defeating Flavio Cobolli of Italy Saturday night, on the earlier upsets of defending champion Novak Djokovic and 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz. Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open title, is the only former US Open champion left in the men’s draw.

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