AUSTRALIAN OPEN

[CR11] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. [CR90] Dustin Brown (GER)

I am constantly amazed when Brown wins a match, while at the same time, often confused why he does not win more often. He is a paradox that can leave his fans frustrated by his often casual approach in rallies.  Despite his big serve and powerful forehand, Brown does not choose his shots wisely and is frequently inconsistent on the execution. He goes for “flashy” too often, and when those shots go in, they are spectacular and give his opponents fits; however, he cannot sustain that level of play.  He is too impatient and does not work the point, perhaps a sign that he is not too confident in his ability to stay in the rally physically or mentally.  He has to learn to play percentage tennis because in order to win a title, you have to win several consecutive matches and to date he has been too inconsistent off the ground and too mentally fragile.

Dimitrov  probably expected a sterner battle given their previous encounter, but he did not have to work too hard to get the 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory.  In a major, that is sometimes to one’s advantage and especially so in Australia where weather conditions can be physically taxing. Dimitrov served well, was crisp off the ground and kept his errors to a minimum. He accomplished what he wanted and is relieved to have an easy victory given the first round jitters that have led to some embarrassing debacles at the Majors for several highly ranked players.  Can he go all the way to the final or is it too early to tell?