Grigor Dimitrov beats Pablo Carreno Busta for the loss of two games at the ATP Finals
Saturday 18 November 2017 01:18, UK
Grigor Dimitrov warmed up for his ATP semi-final with Jack Sock with an electrifying performance against Pablo Carreno Busta on Friday night at The O2 in London.
Dimitrov has already enjoyed victories over Dominic Thiem and David Goffin and he completed a clean sweep of opponents in the Pete Sampras group to continue his ruthless march towards the last four with an energy-conserving 6-1 6-1 win.
The Bulgarian showcased his immaculate one-handed back-hand and flamboyant stroke-play by winning the first 11 points of the match against the Spaniard, who came in for the injury-stricken world No 1 Rafael Nadal earlier in the tournament. And it wasn't long before he wrapped up the set in just 23 minutes.
Dimitrov, who became the first Bulgarian to qualify for the season-ending Tour Finals after reaching a career-high sixth in the ATP rankings earlier this month, made an immediate breakthrough at the start of the next set as he toyed with the US Open semi-finalist.
With the pressure off, the 26-year-old, who claimed his first Masters 1000 title earlier this year in Cincinnati, was hitting winners from every conceivable angle.
Dimitrov was clinical and another mesmerising display was done and dusted in 59 minutes.
Shot of the match
Dimitrov delight
"Another good match I think," he said. "I just want to keep the momentum going and focusing on each match. The flags from Bulgaria are out again. And as soon as I get out on this court it feels special."
And looking ahead to playing Jack Sock in the semi-finals, he added: "He's a very dangerous opponent and has the tools to beat anybody. I just have to focus on my game."
Experts' view
Carreno Busta was struggling physically, but thankfully he finished the match. Dimitrov started on fire. He made every ball and played with so much confidence. He was extremely professional and I'm loving his attacking style. The sky's the limit for him.
What's next
Dimitrov will face American No 1 Sock in the semi-finals on Saturday evening. The Bulgarian, however, has won only one of their last four meetings. You can watch both semi-finals live on Sky Sports Arena, with the action getting underway from midday.
The season-ending extravaganza ATP Finals ends another memorable year which will be covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs, reports, reaction and expert analysis as the season reaches its climax.
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