Grigor Dimitrov came ever so close to getting his second win over a World No.1 player as he fell short against Rafael Nadal in another closely-contested battle in the quarter-final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Dimitrov played well. We know he has the shotmaking capability to trouble these big guys and he has displayed that time after time, but getting the desired result has become problematic for the Bulgarian. A lot was made of Dimitrov when he took that wildcard in the tournament at Queens in 2009. Everyone understood the potential of the player and it was just a question of whether he could put the unbelievable shots together at the right moments, but we are still waiting for him to come through with a major singles title.
The real chance came at the Australian Open this year. He played one of his best ever matches at a major, but yet again, Dimitrov could not get over the line against the elite. Does the Bulgarian need a certain Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic to drop off in order to seize that opportunity with both hands? Several years down the line are we going to see a window where Dimitrov nabs that first major title? It’s a tough question. It would be unusual to see every member of the Big 4 to slump at the same time. I think what Dimitrov will be looking for is winning his first major title when the likes of Federer and Nadal choose to leave the sport behind and focus on life after tennis.
Djokovic, Murray and Stan Wawrinka are all on the sidelines and are on the outside looking in, but you would like to think that all three of those major contenders will be looking to add to their slam tallies when they return to the tour in 2018 and that all of them will feel they have unfinished business at the top of the game. Can Dimitrov really match it with these guys in a Best-of-five format and get the result he desires at the end of it? It has not happened yet and time is ticking. Dimitrov is no longer the star with huge potential that was showing flashes of brilliance when he first came on the tour. He is now 26-years-old and he may have to go through the elite players to get that major, which is not going to be an easy task. These players know what it takes to win the big prizes in our sport, whereas Dimitrov doesn’t and it is clear to see when you watch the Bulgarian in the pressurised moments. There’s a big difference between believing you can beat the very best and knowing you can defeat them at the majors.
His Cincinnati win felt big. He felt like the forgotten star before that big title win against Nick Kyrgios, but he did not back it up at the US Open just weeks later. Are we looking at a flashy player that will never quite live up to the expectations that many placed on his shoulders or will Dimitrov take that next step and overcome one of the Big 4 to claim that first major win? Only time will tell.
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