"It's a special moment for me for me but also I hope for my country"
Monday 13 November 2017 20:46, UK
Grigor Dimitrov believes "the sky is the limit" for him in 2018 after he held his nerve to launch his ATP Finals campaign with victory over Dominic Thiem.
The elegant Bulgarian surrendered a one-set lead at London's O2 Arena and then needed two chances to serve for victory in the decider before edging past the talented Thiem 6-3 5-7 7-5.
Ranked a career-high sixth in the world, Dimitrov has enjoyed the best season of his career
I'm super excited for what's ahead. I'm already looking for the next season
"It's a special moment for me for me but also I hope for my country," Dimitrov said.
"For people just to realise that whatever you put your mind to, if you push those boundaries every day, if you work hard the sky is the limit.
"I'm super excited for what's ahead. I'm already looking for the next season. Getting excited also a little bit for the off-season, which it's not the most exciting time, but I'm getting excited. I think that's a good sign, right?"
Thiem remains a potent force on his favoured clay but is yet to replicate that form on faster surfaces. On hard courts, he has beaten a top-10 opponent only once in 15 matches.
"It would have been better to win the match but there are still two more matches, two chances," he said. "It's only over when I cannot reach the semi-final anymore."
The season-ending extravaganza ATP Finals at London's O2 ends another memorable year which will be covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs and updates as the season reaches its climax.
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