"I kept on believing and doing the right things" - Dimitrov on his mindset following his comeback win over Tsitsipas in Vienna

World No.20 Grigor Dimitrov recovered from losing a devastating first set tiebreak to upset third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday at the Erste Bank Open Vienna.

The Bulgarian led 5-0 in the first set tiebreak, but somehow failed to win anymore points as Tsitsipas rallied back to win seven consecutive points and claim the first set. However, Dimitrov overcame his slight dip in form to secure a 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 victory and advance to the quarterfinals.

“It’s never easy to come out of a situation like that,” Dimitrov said post-match. “I was focused, but he went for it. In the tie-break a few close calls here and there went his way. There was not much else I could have done, I felt. But I kept on believing and kept on doing the right things.”

Having lost to Tsitsipas less than a month ago at Roland Garros, Dimitrov was able to gain some revenge after Thursday's victory. The former World No.3 withstood 15 aces from his opponents to triumph after two hours and 14 minutes.

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“I stayed in the match, which I think was the most important thing. He’s such a great competitor,” Dimitrov added. “You always have to be ready. I was just focusing on the most simple things of the game.”

The Bulgarian next faces Daniel Evans, who defeated wildcard Jurij Rodionov 7-5 6-3 in his second round match.

“Every good match that you play gives you a certain amount of confidence. Clearly today was very taxing on the body. Hopefully I’m going to have enough time to recover for tomorrow’s match,” said Dimitrov. “That was the second round of the tournament if you think about it. The rounds are getting tougher and tougher, which is normal. But I like my chances. Just very pleased to be here.”  

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