Skip to content

Grigor Dimitrov earns battling victory over Dominic Thiem on ATP Finals debut

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of Dominic Thiem against Grigor Dimitrov from their round robin match in the ATP Finals

Grigor Dimitrov marked his first appearance at the ATP Finals with a battling three-set victory over fellow debutant Dominic Thiem at The O2 on Monday.

The 26-year-old Bulgarian, who has claimed three titles this season, comes into the season finale as the world No 6 on the back of his most consistent campaign of his career.

Dimitrov opened his charge in London with a determined 6-3 5-7 7-5 win over his Austrian counterpart, who is ranked two places higher in the rankings.

VOTE: Who will win the ATP Finals?
VOTE: Who will win the ATP Finals?

Nadal, Federer, Zverev, Thiem, Cilic, Dimitrov, Goffin & Sock. Pick your winner...

Dimitrov, the Cincinnati Masters champion, suffered a last-16 exit in his previous tournament appearance at the Paris Masters but showed no signs of early nerves in a hard-hitting encounter.

Meanwhile, Thiem arrived at the season-ending tournament lacking in confidence after a disappointing second half of the season, including early exits on his past four tournament appearances.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 13:  Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates a point in his Singles match against Dominic Thiem of Austria during day two of the
Image: Dimitrov has won three titles this season

Both players began the encounter hitting the ball crisply from the baseline but Thiem was the first to be broken in the sixth game of the match and Dimitrov maintained the advantage to close out the opening set without facing a single break point.

Thiem grew in confidence as the match progressed into the second set and thanks to a higher percentage of first serves put the pressure on Dimitrov's shoulders, who was broken in the 12th game of the second set to force the decider.

Also See:

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 13:  Dominic Thiem of Austria plays a forehand in the Singles match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during day two of the Ni
Image: Dominic Thiem forced the match into a deciding third set

The final set continued to see both players produce some high-quality tennis and the 24-year-old Austrian was forced to save two break points to move 3-2 ahead.

However, he was unable to repeat the feat on his next service game as a deft drop volley secured the break for Dimitrov, who was broken when he served when he served for the match but Dimitrov immediately retrieved the break of serve and at the second opportunity eventually closed out the match.

Shot of the match

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Grigor Dimitrov broke Dominic Thiem with the faintest drop shot in the third set of their round-robin clash in ATP Finals.

Dimitrov living the dream

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Grigor Dimitrov is loving the experience of playing in the ATP Finals and said he's living the dream after his epic win over Dominic Thiem.

"I am not going to lie, I was pretty nervous - it was my first match out here," Dimitrov said during his courtside interview with Annabel Croft. "I am just very grateful to win that match, especially in that manner. Entering into this tournament was a dream of mine and it wasn't just to compete - I want to win. Things seem to be going the right way so far."

Experts' view

Thiem stands so far behind the baseline that he takes the pressure of his opponents. He gives them time to recover their court position and it just doesn’t allow him to hit as many winners.
Peter Fleming
Thiem plays every week of the year - when does he ever take any time off to build and develop his game? You can't continuously play all those matches because you are going to break down physically at times.
Greg Rusedski

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Greg Rusedski and Peter Fleming reflect on Grigor Dimitrov's victory over Dominic Thiem at The 02.

What's next…

Thiem will need to pick up a win against Pablo Carreno Busta, who comes in for the injured Rafael Nadal, while a victory for Dimitrov against David Goffin would virtually put him in the semi-finals.

Thiem v Dimitrov: Match stats

Thiem Match stats Dimitrov
8 Aces 5
6 Double faults 5
80% 1st serve win percentage 77%
51% 2nd serve win percentage 56%
2/2 Break points 3/8
22 Total winners 24
39 Unforced errors 44
9/11 Net points won 19/24
92 Total points won 98
QUIZ: Know your ATP Finals?
QUIZ: Know your ATP Finals?

Test your knowledge on the season-ending tennis extravaganza ATP Finals

The season-ending extravaganza ATP Finals at London's O2 in November 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.

On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Who will win the World Tour Finals this year? Have your say...

Tennis updates straight to your phone
Tennis updates straight to your phone

How to receive all the latest tennis news straight to your mobile

Around Sky