Tennis Special Feature: Grigor Dimitrov and the ‘Federer’ expectation - Part I
Handling expectations have always been part of the package for any up-and-coming young tennis player, but it seems as if the bar has been set higher than usual for Bulgarian, Grigor Dimitrov, who is being dubbed the “new Roger
Federer”. Such a label, as well as the fact that the tennis world sees Dimitrov as a beacon of change, cannot be easy to deal with.
One of the many questions being asked about Dimitrov is why is he getting all this attention? The answer is simple: tennis is desperate for change. The sport has become almost monotonous; the same four players begin and end the
year as the World’s Top pros, and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal take away almost every Grand Slam played. Since the start of 2005, only three players besides Rafa and the Maestro have had success in the Majors. Hence, it is not surprising that the 19-year
old player from Bulgaria is being considered as the next big thing.
Dimitrov has made a good reputation for himself because of his burgeoning rise from outside the top 350 players in the world to the top 100 in six months flat. The substantial number of Futures and Challenger tournaments he has
won has also helped his rise, and made him one of the top-ranked teenagers in the world of 2010.
His similarity to Federer is also easily identifiable. The Swiss player has been his idol from childhood, and consequently many of Dimitrov’s moves are intensely reminiscent of the Maestro. They share the same graceful one-handed
backhand, the method of attack and even the bandanna. In addition to this, both players began their careers with tennis coach Peter Lundgren. Lundgren has also declared Dimitrov to be “more talented” than Federer.
Dmitrov, however, believes the resemblances are latent, not taught. He commented, “Of course there are some similarities with how we play, with my backhand and serve, but I never aimed for that, because my father taught me how
to play tennis and everything came quite naturally to me.”
When asked how he feels about being touted as the successor to the Maestro, he says, “Of course it is nice to hear it, and all these other things, but there is only one reaction I can really give: I am number 106 in the world,
and Federer is the best tennis player alive. It is very hard for me to compare us in any other way.”
However, Grigor Dimitrov also believes that he will be able to change that state of affairs in the next few months. He calls tennis “a simple game for intelligent people”, and has set a definite goal for himself. The player says,
“I believe I can be number one. That’s my goal.”
However, he doesn’t take his potential victories for granted; Dimitrov has made the same mistake in the past, before he turned pro. The comparisons of Dimitrov with Federer first began when Dimitrov was Junior World No. 1 in 2008,
right after he took away the boys’ titles at the US Open and Wimbledon. He was 17-years old at the time.
While such results may have been the launch pad for his immediate success, Dmitrov faltered soon after. He managed to defeat Tomas Berdych, and to battle Rafael Nadal to three sets, but his progress seemed to come to a halt after
that.
Contd. in Part II
Tags: