Tennis-One for the purists as Dimitrov beats Moutet to reach third round
LONDON (Reuters) -It is more than 10 years since Grigor Dimitrov reached his sole Wimbledon semi-final and back then it still seemed a reasonable bet that the Bulgarian once dubbed 'Baby Federer' would win a Grand Slam title.
There were semi-final runs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open after that but it has never quite happened and with him being seeded 19th at this year's Championships it most likely never will.
Dimitrov, 34, remains one of the most stylish players on the circuit though, with his elegant single-handed backhand and smooth all-court game a rare reminder of how tennis was before the power merchants turned it into baseline warfare.
For those still pining for now retired eight-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, Dimitrov offers some comfort and so for tennis connoisseurs, a sunny Court Three was the place to be for his match with tricky French player Corentin Moutet on Thursday.
They were not disappointed either as the entertaining duel was full of artistry and flair.
Despite giving away eight years to an opponent who reached his first grasscourt final last month in Mallorca, Dimitrov emerged with a 7-5 4-6 7-5 7-5 victory to prolong his 59th successive Grand Slam appearance, the most of any active player.
It was far from comfortable for the former world number three despite striking 64 winners and he required some occasional help from his opponent, notably a double-fault from the flamboyant Frenchman on set point in the third.
The bearded Moutet, ranked 69, stayed in the match with some stunning tennis in the fourth set, bowing to the crowd at one point after racing back to retrieve a lob and replying with a winning lob of his own, played between his legs.
It was another entry to his show-reel that included one mind-boggling drop-shot, also through the legs, in his opening round win against Argentina's Francisco Comesana.
In the end, however, it was Dimitrov's more refined gamed that held sway. The 2008 Wimbledon junior champion broke serve at 5-5 in the fourth and then held his own delivery to reach the third round here for the seventh time.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Sabalenka douses Raducanu fire to reach fourth round
ARYNA Sabalenka looked shaken and stirred on Friday as it appeared she would become the most high-profile name to join the mass exodus of Wimbledon seeds before her survival instincts kicked in to secure a 7-6(6) 6-4 third-round win over Emma Raducanu. Wimbledon fans are no strangers to floodlit blockbusters featuring British home favourites, with Andy Murray providing plenty of late-night thrills under a closed Centre Court roof during his stellar career. On Friday, after being kept waiting till 8 pm local time (1900 GMT) to take centre stage, it was Raducanu's turn to provide the drama as she played some electrifying tennis to surge into a 4-2 lead in the first set and was again up 4-1 in the second. Unfortunately for Raducanu, getting over the finishing line proved a step too far. 'She played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard. To get this win, I had to fight for every point like crazy,' the world number one told the crowd after improving her record over British opponents to 9-0. 'She was making me move a lot, serving well and playing great tennis from the baseline. I was just trying to stay focused and put as many balls as I could on her side. I just tried to put all of the pressure on her.' The 22-year-old Raducanu kept the Belarusian guessing with her breathtaking shot-making that earned her a break in the fifth game to the delight of the 15,000-strong crowd who roared on every Raducanu winner and cheered on every Sabalenka error. Although Sabalenka, the sole survivor among the top six women's seeds, gained back the break, she was left shell-shocked when she missed seven set, and break, points at 5-4 on Raducanu's serve, with the Briton serving her way out of trouble. At the eighth time of asking, in the tiebreak, Sabalenka finally silenced the crowd when she produced a stop volley to bag the set, her achievement being greeted by only a smattering of applause. Raducanu, who has spent a long time in the tennis wilderness following her mind-boggling win at the U.S. Open in 2021 as a qualifier, wanted to prove that she was back to her best by following up her win over 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova with victory over Sabalenka. When she surged into a 4-1 lead in the second, and even had a break point to take a 5-1 lead, it seemed that she had it in her grasp to drag the contest into a deciding set. But just as the spectators on Centre Court, and the thousands more cheering on from a heaving Henman Hill, started believing that Raducanu had the momentum, and the weapons, to pull off an improbable win against an opponent who has contested the last three Grand Slam finals, reality struck. Sabalenka turned on the power to win the last five games to extinguish Raducanu's hopes of reaching the fourth round for the third time, with the Briton netting a service return on match point. 'What an atmosphere. My ears are still hurting, honestly. It was super loud! Every time you were cheering her, I was trying to tell myself to just pretend that you were just cheering for me. I had goosebumps honestly, so thank you for the atmosphere,' said the top seed, who will next face Belgium's Elise Mertens.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Gwinn injury throws shadow over Germany's win at Women's Euros
Soccer Football - Women's Euro 2025 - Group C - Germany v Poland - Arena St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland - July 4, 2025 Germany's Giulia Gwinn walks off the pitch after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo (Reuters) -Germany overcame a sloppy start to cruise to a 2-0 win over Poland at the Women's Euros on Friday but the victory was overshadowed by what looked to be another serious knee injury for team captain Giulia Gwinn, who was helped off the field in tears just before the break. Gwinn, who has twice suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, was distraught after twisting her leg while preventing what looked to be a certain Polish goal and had to be replaced in the 40th minute by Carlotta Wamser, who came off the bench cold for her Euros debut in defence. "The worst we can do is to speculate," Germany coach Christian Wueck told reporters. "Tomorrow at 0900 or 1000 is the MRI and the doctors can tell us more. I didn't see the incident, I just know it prevented an almost certain goal." Many of Gwinn's teammates looked shocked as they went to comfort her before she was assisted from the field five minutes before the break, but Wueck said they were quick to focus again. "I think that the injury was not really a topic (at the break) and we discussed the game. We talked about how we wanted to score against the Poles and what we wanted to do better," he explained. "We have 23 players and we are convinced that every single one of them can be a replacement for someone else, and Carlotta showed that." Germany were much more effective in the second half and wrapped up the three points thanks to a goal and an assist from Jule Brand, and at the end of the game they huddled briefly before running down the tunnel. "We went to Giulia, I said 'we're going straight to her, to take her in our arms and talk to her', and afterwards we could go back out to the fans," Wueck said. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor; editing by Clare Fallon)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cricket-West Indies stage stunning fightback to trail Australia by 45 in Grenada
(Reuters) -West Indies were bowled out for 253 in their first innings of the second test in Grenada on Friday, trailing Australia by 45 runs at stumps after a dramatic second day that saw early promise turn to utter collapse before a thrilling lower-order fightback. Australia were 12 for two when play was called off, having lost Sam Konstas for a duck when he was bowled by Jayden Seales, and Usman Khawaja for two runs when Seales trapped him lbw. What began as a Friday of fluctuating fortunes for the hosts became a tale of extraordinary resilience, with the West Indies tail staging a spirited recovery to keep alive the test match and series. The morning session belonged to John Campbell until a moment of madness cost him his wicket on 40. The West Indies left-hander looked in fine touch, striking five fours and a six, before attempting an ambitious shot off Beau Webster that he could only sky for a simple catch to Mitchell Starc at mid-on. Kraigg Brathwaite's milestone 100th Test got off to the worst possible start when he fell for a duck in just the second over after being caught and bowled by Josh Hazlewood. Keacy Carty also departed cheaply for six, falling to a spectacular catch by Pat Cummins off his own bowling. The afternoon session began ominously for West Indies when Roston Chase became Hazlewood's second victim in the first over after lunch, falling lbw for 16 via a successful Australian review. Brandon King and Shai Hope then steadied the ship with a patient partnership that saw King reach 75 with some authoritative strokeplay. King's innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression, while Hope grew in confidence alongside him, striking boundaries with a flourish and looking increasingly comfortable. The session was not without its lighter moments either, as play was briefly interrupted when a dog wandered on to the field, trotting around casually before Cummins helped to shepherd it back over the boundary rope. Cummins, as he so often does, produced a moment of magic to break the crucial King-Hope partnership and swing the tide back in Australia's favour. The Australian captain cleaned up Hope on 21 with an absolute peach of a delivery, triggering a collapse that saw West Indies slump from a promising position to 174 for seven, after King and Justin Greaves (1) departed soon after. At that point, the hosts seemed headed for a substantial deficit chasing Australia's first innings total of 286, but the West Indies tail had other ideas. Alzarri Joseph was the chief architect of the fightback, smashing 27 from 49 balls, while Shamar Joseph provided equally valuable support with 29, before falling to Starc. The tail-end resistance proved nothing short of remarkable, with Anderson Phillip contributing a gritty 10 from 40 balls and Seales adding a valuable seven runs as the last-wicket partnership frustrated Australia's bowlers. The lower order added 79 crucial runs for the last three wickets to keep alive West Indian hopes. The final wicket of the hosts' innings fell when Travis Head took a low catch to dismiss Phillip, with the third umpire ruling the catch clean despite replays suggesting it was touch-and-go. Nathan Lyon was Australia's most successful bowler with three wickets for 75 runs from 19 overs. Hazlewood and Cummins claimed two wickets apiece but even they could not prevent their hosts from rallying. Australia's failure to deal with the West Indies tail will be a source of frustration for the tourists, but they can take comfort from the fact that their narrow lead could still prove crucial if the pitch deteriorates further. Australia lead the three test series 1-0 after winning the opener in Bridgetown. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Toronto)
