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He has been hailed a future champion ever since his days as a junior, and now the 22-year-old Grigor Dimitrov is beginning to underline that promise with the results. The Bulgarian won a testy three-set final against a determined Kevin Anderson to claim only the second title of his flowering career. Having defeated Andy Murray in the semifinals, Dimitrov worked his way past Anderson 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(5) to clinch the ATP World Tour 500 – Abierto Mexicano Telcel title in Acapulco.
Anderson has been powering his way forward this past year, and his early season form has been impeccable. He reached the round of 16 at Melbourne and nearly took his third career title last week before falling agonisingly short in the finals at Delray Beach. The towering South African used his serve to telling effect as he held steady to 4-4 in the first set.
It was Dimitrov who surrendered the first break points – three of them – when he drove a forehand wide to offer an opening to his 6’8″ opponent. The 21st-ranked South African spurned the chance, however, with a horrendous sequence of errors – two off either flank – to squander the opportunities.
Energised by the rescue act, Dimitrov forced Anderson on the defensive as he served to stay in the set at 4-5. The towering Anderson had to pull out all stops in saving a couple of set points, but managed to somehow hold on and keep the set alive and even. With neither man willing to budge, the set fell into a tie-breaker.
The Bulgarian upstart took control early, winning both of Anderson’s service points to take a 3-0 lead. An ace down the middle and a thumping backhand strike after racing to the net took him to within two points of the first set. Eventually, Anderson won a point, but Dimitrov took the breaker to assume control of the contest.
Anderson had fought a three-set battle to oust Alexandr Dolgopolov in the semis and was facing a similar adventure if he harboured any hopes for a third career title. He did himself a mighty favour when he survived a deuce point in the very first game before earning the first break of the match when he turned the tables on Dimitrov in the second game.
With a spring in his step, Anderson held at love in the third game to find himself back in the match at 3-0 in the second set. Dimtrov sought to repair the damage in the fifth game, and there was a scent of an opportunity at 30-30 on the Anderson serve. But a serve out wide in the deuce court gave just enough space for Anderson to then land his 10th forehand winner, and the lead grew to 4-1.
Serving to take the match into a decisive final set, Anderson stuttered briefly to open a window for Dimitrov at 15-30. A couple of big serves and a thundering forehand, however, ensured that the match would be determined by a shootout in the third set.
Anderson won 83% of his first serve points and took the only opportunity of the set to break serve and keep Dimitrov from running away with the match.
The match seemed to swing decisively in favour of the South African when Anderson broke Dimitrov’s serve after forcing the game to deuce. The 27-year-old consolidated the edge to take a 3-1 lead as the match hurtled into its final stages. The advantage was his, but it had come a bit too early, and now he was dealing with the burden of keeping it intact.
Dimitrov struck back in the eighth game. The Bulgarian used his lethal forehand to telling advantage as he worked his way to a break on the Anderson serve to level the set at 4-4. The packed stadium was on edge even as the two eager men sought the tiny bit that could help them edge past their opponent to the title.
Anderson was under a bit of duress as he served to keep the match alive in the 12th game. But at 30-30, he produced a timely ace to gain game point, and another ace helped push the match into a decisive breaker.
Dimitrov began the breaker with a thundering forehand winner to declare his intentions. The determined Anderson responded in kind, a forehand cross court winner aiding him along as he kept steady to 2-1.
The first mini-break came on the fifth point, when Anderson struck a deep cross court drive to force an error from Dimtrov. But after changing ends at 4-2, Anderson offered it straight back and the Bulgarian clawed back to even terms at 4-4.
At 4-5, Anderson needed to be at his best to avert disaster. Dimitrov drew Anderson into a lengthy rally on the 11th point, eventually drawing the error to gain match point. He needed nothing more, as Anderson struck a forehand that took the tape and flew off the court to leave Dimitrov flat on the court in celebration.
Just to give credit where it is due, Anderson sought to control the destiny of the match but failed by the narrowest margins at the very end. The South African struck 46 winners to just 20 off the Bulgarian’s racket, but his 52 unforced errors were just too many free points to his opponent. In contrast, Dimitrov only made 28 errors, a differential of nearly six games.
The two hour, 58 minute victory will enable Dimitrov to rise to 16th in the rankings on Monday, thanks to the 500 points he collected along with a cheque for $316,400. The South Africa was understandably gutted after coming second for two straight weeks, losing narrowly in three sets on both occasions.
