"So am I, minus the young part": Dimitrov hilariously previews clash with 'young, talented and dangerous' Rune at Wimbledon

Sunday, 09 July 2023 at 21:30

Grigor Dimitrov anticipates his match against Holger Rune and draws a comparison with the young player.

The Bulgarian is having one of the best performances of his career at All England Club. In his 12 previous appearances, he has only surpassed the third round twice: in 2014 (losing in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic) and in 2017 (losing in the fourth round to Roger Federer).

“The past weeks have been amazing weeks for me, out here in England. I’m just enjoying every single day,” Dimitrov said after his last match.

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This time, he secured victories in the first three rounds of the 2023 Wimbledon, including a win over world No. 10 Frances Tiafoe with a score of 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. The match was interrupted by rain during the third set and resumed on the following day. Dimitrov commented on the level of play displayed by his opponent after the match:

“He’s such a dangerous player, I knew I had to be very focused. He’s a player that has a lot of flare around the court. Great serve, great return, so I was just looking after my game, to be honest,” Dimitrov said

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Former world No. 3 will face Holger Rune in the fourth round, who advanced in an incredible 10-point tiebreak in the fifth set. Rune was trailing 8-5, but his opponent Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was unable to close out the match. This will be the first meeting between Rune and Dimitrov in their careers. The 32-year-old Bulgarian commented on the upcoming match.

“It’s going to be one of those matches. I have to take it like any other match. Of course he is young, talented and a very dangerous player, but so am I. Minus the young part!” Dimitrov said.

“For me, I’m not looking at any [external factors] right now. I’m just focusing on my side of the net and looking after my game. I really enjoy coming out here and am really enjoying playing at the moment a lot. I think the older I get, the more I enjoy it, which is interesting,” he added.

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Grigor Dimitrov on facing Holger Rune: “He’s young, talented. In a way, a very dangerous player, but so am I. Minus the young part.” 😂 The crowd loves him.

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1:25 PM · Jul 9, 2023

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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