Alexandr Dolgopolov edges past Grigor Dimitrov into the last eight – Winston-Salem Open 2011
Third seed Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine survived the second set melt down and battled past upcoming Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, ranked 52nd in the world, in three sets 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(7) in the third round at the Winston-Salem
Open in North Carolina on Wednesday. The Ukrainian needed two hours and twelve minutes to defeat Dimitrov in a tough match.
Dolgopolov inflicted the first blow as he broke the Bulgarian in the third game of the first set and held his serve in the next game to take a 3-1 lead. The Ukrainian did not lose his serve and sustained the lead till the end,
serving out the set at 5-4.
The 22-year-old hit two aces and 48 percent of the first deliveries, grabbing eleven of the thirteen points on the first serve in the opening set. On the other hand, Dimitrov gave a slightly better first serve performance as he
fired four aces and 63 percent of the first serves, winning seventeen of the 24 points on them. However, the Bulgarian was too erratic on his second serve as he hit four double faults and won just five of the fourteen second service points in the first set.
Dolgopolov drew the first blood in the second set as he broke Dimitrov in the first game but the Bulgarian looked a different player after that and completely turned around the set. Dimitrov captured six games in a row, breaking
the Ukrainian three times to claim the set 6-1.
The Bulgarian smacked three aces and won five of the seven first service points in the second set. Dimitrov and Dolgopolov faced difficulty in putting their first serves in as they hit 33 percent and 25 percent of the first serves
respectively. The difference between the two players was the return of serve as Dimitrov clinched 75 percent of the return points compared to just 33 percent by his opponent in the second set.
Dimitrov and the Ukrainian won their service games throughout the final set to equalise the score at 6-6 and took the set to a tie-break. Dolgopolov sealed a late-mini-break in the tie-break and utilised it to win 9-7.
The right-handed fired five aces and captured nineteen of the 21 points on the first serve in the third set. The Ukrainian grabbed seven of the 28 first return points and saved both break points he faced in the deciding set.
Dolgopolov is drawn to play tenth seed Robin Haase of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
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