[23] Steve Johnson (USA) vs. [34] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
Johnson led their head-to-head going into this match. Under normal circumstances I would have given the advantage to Johnson. However, Dimitrov has been playing brilliantly and Johnson is exhausted from the Olympics. Even with the knowledge that he has struggled to close out his matches, Johnson just could not mount enough energy to execute his plan and take advantage of his opportunities to break.
Fatigue caught up to him and it visibly hampered his movement, clouded his mind and impacted his shot selection and execution. It was a good victory for Dimitrov who was once ranked in the top ten two years ago. A series of questionable losses saw his ranking drop to 40. This is a good tune up for him with the last Major, the US Open, just 10 days away. He defeated Johnson 7-6(8), 6-2. His next opponent will be either Marin Cilic or Borna Coric.
Marin Cilic leads their head-to-head 2:1. This will be the first meeting between Dimitrov and Coric. Either way, expect a battle. I am curious to see how Coric deals with the pressure of playing for his first Masters 1000 semifinals appearance. Good to see Dimitrov is regaining his confidence. Can he get to his first Masters 1000 final?
