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Match Details
Fixture: (19) Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray
Date: August 31, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky Sports | India - Sony Sports
Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray preview
World No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov will lock horns with three-time Major champion Andy Murray in the second round of the 2023 US Open on Thursday.
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Dimitrov kicked off his challenge in New York against Alex Molcan. The Bulgarian fought hard in the first two sets, but came up short in the ensuing tie-breaks to lose both of them.
Dimitrov improved his game to capture the third set with ease, where he lost just 1 game in the process. He carried the momentum into the fourth set as well, as a single break of serve in his favor sealed the set for him.
The tide turned in Molcan's favor yet again as he jumped to a 5-2 lead. However, he failed to close out the match on his own serve, then lost a match point on Dimitrov's serve as well, who fended it off to level the score.
After battling for so long, the contest was to be decided by a tie-break. Dimitrov saved another couple of match points in it as he stormed back to complete a 6-7 (9), 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (9) comeback win.
Murray took on Corentin Moutet in his opener. The Brit bagged four games in a row to clinch the first set. He then came down from a break deficit and saved a couple of set points in the second set to claim it as well.
Murray secured the decisive break in the ninth game of the third set to go 5-3 up. He then served for the match and wrapped up the game on his fourth match point to score a 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray head-to-head
Murray leads Dimitrov 8-3 in the head-to-head. The Brit won their previous encounter at the 2016 China Open in straight sets.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray prediction
Dimitrov's back injury made it quite difficult for him to play at his best, but he dug deep to score a gritty win over Molcan. It was also his first victory after dropping the first couple of sets to an opponent. The Bulgarian fired 20 aces, along with a total of 81 winners in contrast to 63 unforced errors.
Murray had a relatively easier time against Moutet and notched up his 200th win at the Majors by defeating the Frenchman. He's now set to renew his rivalry with Dimitrov after almost seven years.
Dimitrov's first round match went on for nearly five hours and coupled with his back issue, getting the better of Murray could prove to be a tall order for him. The Brit always found a way to counter his younger opponent's shotmaking and tactics in the past.
Given how they played in the first round and Dimitrov's physical issues, Murray will be favored to continue his journey at the US Open.
Pick: Andy Murray to win in four sets.
