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Grigor Dimitrov trumped Alexander Zverev on Friday, March 29, to reach the final of the Miami Open 2024. In the final, slated to be held on Sunday, he will take on Italy's Jannik Sinner.
Dimitrov defeated World No. 5 Zverev 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 in an intense battle that lasted for two hours and 39 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium with a clinical display of serving mastery. He smashed a staggering 18 aces and remained unbroken during the match.
This was notably the Bulgarian's first victory over Zverev after their first meeting in 2014. The head-to-head notably stood at 7-1 in the German's favor before the Friday match began.
Also, this was his second consecutive win against the Top 5 as he downed World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Furthermore, the win over Zverev has guaranteed Dimitrov a spot in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings to be updated on Monday, April 1.
Tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) rejoiced to see the 32-year-old, who was once dubbed as 'Baby Federer' for his on-court elegance, return to the upper echelons of men's tennis.
"Best story in tennis right now and one of the best in sports. The man [Grigor Dimitrov] cursed years ago with the nickname "Baby Fed" blasts world No. 2 and world No. 5 in consecutive matches to make the Miami Open final. (And just knocked Alex De Minaur out of top 10)," one fan wrote.
"For years, people called him Baby Fed. But these last few months, he doesn't look like baby anything," a tennis-dedicated page wrote.
Another couple of fans wished for Grigor Dimitrov to overcome Jannik Sinner in the summit clash on Sunday.
"We used to pray for moments like this!!! Unbelievable to see him play the best tennis of his career at 32. Love Sinner, but I think most tennis fans probably want Grigor to get this one. What a player," a fan wrote.
"While I like Sinner a lot I hope Grigor will finally win his Masters 1000 on Sunday. Either way I'm hoping for a great match like what we had tonight," wrote another.
Here are a few more reactions from X:
Grigor Dimitrov trails Jannik Sinner 1-2 in the head-to-head
Grigor Dimitrov has his task cut out for Sunday, March 31, at the Miami Open 2024 as he takes on Jannik Sinner in an attempt to win just the second Masters 1000 title of his career.
Also, if Dimitrov manages to win on Sunday, he would draw level with Sinner in their head-to-head account which currently stands at 2-1 in the Italian's favor. He clinched victory in their first-ever duel played in 2020 at the Italian Open, however, Sinner downed him twice in 2023 in Miami and Beijing.
Notably, the Sunday clash will be Jannik Sinner's third appearance in the Miami Open finals. He first made it to the decider in 2021 but lost to Hubert Hurkacz and then couldn't overcome Daniil Medvedev two years later.
