Dimitrov survives match points to end Millman challenge
Defending champion Grigor Dimitrov survived two match points to end the hopes of local boy John Millman and reach the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International.
Brisbane native Millman had one chance on serve in a second-set tie-break and another crack on Dimitrov's, but both opportunities went begging in a dramatic contest.
And those misses were punished as the ATP Finals champion overcame a major scare against a player ranked 125 places below him to record a 4-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 victory.
World number three Dimitrov, making his season debut, had broken in the second set only to hand that straight back, and the Bulgarian won an epic rally to save a first match point before a mammoth forehand staved off the second.
Deflated by losing the set, Millman was outclassed in the decider, as Dimitrov earned a last-eight tie with Kyle Edmund following the Briton's 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-4 beating of Chung Hyeon.
.@kyle8edmund ends winning streak of Hyeon Chung for @BrisbaneTennis SF. Read & Watch: https://t.co/87yBiu0UTR pic.twitter.com/tivQqVIWSi
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) January 4, 2018
Denis Istomin defeated Jared Donaldson 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 and will now meet Ryan Harrison, after the American recovered from going a set down to defeat Yannick Hanfmann.