2023 US Open Match Preview - Alexander Zverev v Grigor Dimitrov

Saturday, 02 September 2023 at 17:03

The US Open Last 16 will be fully confirmed at the end of Saturday evening and with one match analysed (Pegula v Svitolina), we head to Louis Armstrong with Grigor Dimitrov set to face Alexander Zverev.

As ever, we take a look at their route so far, Head to Head and the main talking points in our preview on TennisUpToDate.

Zverev returning to some form

Like most after a serious injury, it has taken Alexander Zverev some time to get back to a semblance of his best and he now sits as 12th seed knocking on the door of the top 10 again.

So far this tournament, he has played twice on Court 17 described as having a marijuana smell and in particular, had one of the quotes of the tournament from Zverev.

'Court 17 definitely smells like Snoop Dogg's living room,' said Zverev. 'Oh my God, it´s everywhere. The whole court smells like weed.'

He finally sheds that smell and the court going onto Louis Armstrong this evening. Previously he has seen off a compatriot in Daniel Altmaier and Aleksandar Vukic to get to this point.

In pale comparison to his next opponent in another match which could turn into an epic.

Marathon man Dimitrov aims to follow up Murray win

Grigor Dimitrov is the next opponent for Alexander Zverev after two matches which have gone different routes, but both have been long drawn out affairs.

The first saw him defeat Alex Molcan being 7-6, 7-6 down initially before coming back to win 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 in the end and he played two days later in a match dominated by the narrative of a certain Andy Murray.

But he quashed the Brit's chances in straight sets and will now face Zverev. They have only met recently though in a match that could give unease for the Bulgarian. He lost 6-2, 6-2 to the German at that point. This after losing in the semi-finals in Washington to eventual champion, Dan Evans who also plays on Saturday night against Carlos Alcaraz.

What about the Head to Head though? Including that Cincinnati meeting, it is very bleak reading for Dimitrov.

He is 5-1 down to Zverev going all the way back to 2014 which was his only win. He has since lost in Indian Wells (2016), Rome (2016), Paris (2021), Roland Garros (2023) and now Cincinnati so the German ace will be favourite to make it 3 for the year.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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