Shanghai Masters: Grigor Dimitrov rolls backs the years to shock top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz
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by James Brownley
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Other
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11 October, 2023
Grigor Dimitrov reached the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday after producing an inspired performance to shock top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz won three games in a row to take the opening set but the brilliant Bulgarian bounced back in some style to land his biggest win in years with a 5-7 6-2 6-4 triumph.
The 32-year-old, watched on by coach Jamie Delgado, unsettled Alcaraz throughout, hitting 26 winners including 10 aces to defeat the Spaniard in two hours and nine minutes.
“I stayed in the match. I served really well but made a few errors in the first set,” said Dimitrov. “I was running out of opportunities but I started to understand his service game and I was solid in the third set.
“I knew what I had to do and I knew I had to apply constant pressure on him.
The 32-year-old, watched on by coach Jamie Delgado, unsettled Alcaraz throughout, hitting 26 winners including 10 aces to defeat the Spaniard in two hours and nine minutes.
“I stayed in the match. I served really well but made a few errors in the first set,” said Dimitrov. “I was running out of opportunities but I started to understand his service game and I was solid in the third set.
“I knew what I had to do and I knew I had to apply constant pressure on him.