Tennis Special Feature: Grigor Dimitrov and the ‘Federer’ expectation - Part II
Although talented, Dimitrov was unable to make a consistent impact on the ATP after his pro debut. He had defeated Berdych and took Nadal to a tie-breaker before, but was unable to do better. Dimitrov commented on this, saying,
“I had two great matches [against Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal] and I thought everything was said and done to go and join the big guys. But this is one of the tricky things about the game that you have to learn – how to play well over and over again, not
just once or twice.”
Looking back on his performances, he now knows why he found the crossing over from junior champion to main circuit player so difficult. He explains, “It is completely different to being in a boy's tournament. You are up against
men who know how to play you because they have been there before and they know every match situation... It's not until you start playing them that you understand.”
While the expectations that came after his junior success may have been daunting, he also admits that his attitude was nowhere near the mindset required to be a champion. He says that he became “a bit lackadaisical” and that although
he did not ease off, he did take a mental break from serious tennis, which is the worst mistake for a young player. To make a successful transition, a player must work hard and take less time off, something which Dimitrov was unaware of.
His attitude, coupled with some small injuries, began to take their toll on his game and he appeared to be stuck in the World’s Top 300 players. His once promising career seemed to be drifting, and he found out the hard way that
potential did not mean much on the ATP Tour. Comparisons with Roger Federer ceased, and critics began equating him with Martin Lee, the British player who made it to the top of the boys’ rankings in the 1990s but was unable to move further than World Number
94 as a professional player.
When asked about what changes he brought about to climb as high as he has in 2010, Dimitrov quickly gives credit to his new coach Peter McNamara. Dimitrov replaced Lundgren in June, and finished the year with 49 wins and just 13
losses in the latter half. While he says that Lundgren was a great teacher and leaving his tutelage was a difficult decision, Dimitrov also says that it was definitely better for his career. While he seems reluctant to share McNamara’s exact technique, he
hints that there has been a great mental shift. He comments, “[My game] not the main issue. We have tried to work on my consistency and the details that shape the whole picture... We have had such a great start and we are going to carry on in the same way."
Contd. in Part 3
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