New Year’s Eve is a cause for celebration all around the world for one very good reason: It means the first Grand Slam of the year is a matter of weeks away.

The Australian Open in January is the perfect way to ensure that tennis professional all over the world stay off the mince pies and grog over the festive period.

It also enables tennis fans across the globe to hit the new year with aplomb and those looking to take advantage of tennis betting strategies, the chance to put them into practice early doors.

Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov finds himself seeded 20th for the Melbourne Park event so what of his chances of landing a first Grand slam title?

We take a look at his chances and hurdles he must overcome if the 27-year-old is to become the 2019 Australian Open champion.

Previous Record

If Dimitrov is to win a Grand Slam, then there is fair reason to suggest that down under is his best chance.

In 2017, he achieved his best-ever result in one of the four majors reaching the semi-final.

A five-set thriller with Rafa Nadal set the tournament alive but it was the Spaniard who won through to the final to face Roger Federer who eventually won.

However, Dimitrov also reached the latter stages of the tournament last year eventually losing to Britain’s Kyle Edmund in four sets.

Ack to back top eights are a positive sign for Dimitrov heading to Melbourne and one he should look to for confidence.

Fitness

Despite losing to Kei Nishikori 7-5, 7-5 in the quarter finals of the Brisbane International, the important thing is Dimitrov has been getting plenty of playing time under his belt before heading to Melbourne.
It means he will head into the Australian Open in peak fitness and in a prime position to attack the likes of the aging Federer and recovering Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.

Odds

Heading into the tournament and Dimitrov can be backed as far out as 50/1 with some bookmakers.

That is a remarkable price for a man who has not finished outside of the top eight since 2016.

The big three of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal make up the top three with Andy Murray’s injury woes seeing him instilled as eighth favourite but Dimitrov at 50/1 is well worth an outside punt.

Can he do it?

Yes, is the answer, as mentioned above the Australian Open is the one Grand slam in which he has been the most consistent and his hard-court record backs that up.

It will not be easy with heavyweights Djokovic and defending champion Roger Federer in the way, however, the general consensus is that Dimitrov is far better than his odds suggest and if he is to win a Grand Slam, then this may prove to be his best chance ever.

Григор Димитров ще играе с втория поставен в схемата Кей Нишикори (Япония) на четвъртфиналите в Бризбън след победата над австралиеца Джон Милман в два сета 6-3 6-4.

"Помня какво стана миналата година... Очевидно съм мислил върху това през последните дни, тъй като знаех, че ще играя срещу него, и се просто се опитвах да правя нещата по-добре от миналата година" каза Димитров.

Димитров взе първия сет с 6-3 и достигна до 4-1 във втория сет след два пробива, тогава Милман успя да пробие два пъти и изравни на 4-4. Григор успя да пробие за четвърти път в мача и взе своя сервиз гейм и спечели сета и мача.

"Голям респект към него. Той е невъобразим боец, както видяхме днес, особено във втория сет... Но аз успях да запазя хладнокръвие през целия мач, особено на 4-4" коментира Димитров.

Григор Димитров и Райън Харисън загубиха мача си в първия кръг на двойки от Раджийв Рам и Джо Салисбъри с 2-6 5-7.

Григор Димитров спечели първия си мач от новия сезон срещу японеца Йошихито Ношиока с 6-3 6-4. Димитров е носителя на титлата на Бризбън Интернешънъл през 2017.

"Усещах, че всъщност удрях топката доста добре за първия мач за годината... Имаше няколко неща, които бих искал да подобря в следващия мач, но като цяло считам, че е добър старт" каза Димитров.

Във втория кръг Димитров ще играе срещу победителя от мача на Джон Милман (Австралия) и Тенис Сандгрен (САЩ).

Григор ще участва и в турнира на двойки с партньор Райън Харисън (САЩ). В първия кръг те ще играят срещу Раджийв Рам (САЩ) и Джо Салисбъри (Великобритания).

Now our TV’s have become inundated with Christmas adverts and the nights are drawing in there can be no better time than now to reflect on a barnstorming year of tennis action.

Although 2018 may not have been a vintage year for Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov but that is not to say it has not had its signature moments.

The year started with a positive outlook and expectations were high after winning the ATP Tour finals at the end of 2017 with the best bookmakers for tennis betting making a beeline for Dimitrov as 2018 to be the year he potentially cracks a Grand Slam for first time.

The season started in traditional fashion down under at the Brisbane International and a run to the semi-finals proved that Dimitrov was in confident mood for the season ahead losing only to home favourite Nick Kyrgios.

The Australian Open followed and Dimitrov gained quick revenge over Kyrgios defeating the Australian in a four-set thriller in round four.

However, the Bulgarian came up against an inspired Kyle Edmund in the quarter-finals losing 1-3 to the spirited Brit.

We did not know it at the time, but that would prove to be the closest Dimitrov would get to a grand slam title in 2018.

However, heading to the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Dimitrov had yet to fail to reach at least the last eight of a tournament and was in bullish mood.

The man who now lives in Monte Carlo did not drop a set in four straight games on his way to the final of the indoor tournament but came up against a resurgent Roger Federer in the final with the Swiss taking the title with a comfortable 2-0 win.

Defeat in the final appeared to affect Dimitrov as the next three tournaments saw him fail to make the quarter-final stage at all with a first round defeat in the Dubai Tennis Championship, a second-round exit at Indian Wells and a third-round dismissal at Miami Masters.

However, returning to adopted home at the Monte Carlo Masters saw Dimitrov register another final-four berth losing out to Rafael Nadal for a place in the final.

The Monte Carlo Masters was the start of the clay court season and immediately after was the Barcelona Open in which a solid run to the quarter-finals was his reward.

However, then a series of tournaments which proved that perhaps clay is not Dimitrov’s strongest type of surface failing to progress past the first round at the Madrid Masters and second round at the Rome Masters.

The French Open followed and for the third time in his career, the third round equalled his best ever performance at the year’s second tennis major.

Dimitrov played only two singles tournaments on grass all season and neither yielded any form of success.

A second-round exit at the hands of Novak Djokovic at Queens was followed up a first round exit at Wimbledon after being unfortunate to be drawn against the unseeded and returning from injury Stan Wawrinka in the draw of round one.

Back to the hard court then and back to back quarter-finals at the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Masters restored some damaged pride over a difficult summer but another first round exit at the hands of Stan Wawrinka at the season’s final Grand Slam in the US Open closed out the majors in disappointing style.

Early exits at the China Open, BA-CA Tennis Trophy Wien and Paris Masters may have ended Dimitrov’s 2018 in complete contrast to 2017’s success but the year has been one where the Bulgarian has been seeking consistency as opposed to blow0away performances.

2019 is a new opportunity and at 27 Grigor Dimitrov has more than enough time on his side.

Expect a resurgence next year with one eye firmly on taking a first Grand Slam title.

The 2018 Wimbledon Championships is scheduled to begin on 2 July with a number of players hoping to secure the third major of the season. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won the other two Grand Slam tournaments during 2018 in a season of mixed form and injury amongst the best male tennis players on the planet. Grigor Dimitrov has taken advantage of this situation and leads a whole host of players eager to prove they can mix with the very best. Things didn’t end as well as they could have at Queen’s but can Dimitrov take that final leap and secure a first career Grand Slam at SW19?

The Wimbledon Championships is the pinnacle of the grass season. Tennis fans from around the world flock to SW19 to catch a glimpse of the world’s best players against the backdrop of strawberries, cream and the guaranteed British rain showers. It is the third Grand Slam in a season which has seen mixed success for the big four of men’s tennis. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won a major each but Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have struggled with injuries.

Djokovic himself has fought back in recent weeks and very nearly returned to form at the other London grass tennis tournament. The Serbian lost the final of the Queen’s Club Championship last weekend to Marin Čilić, a tournament which has so often been the pre-cursor to Wimbledon. In fact, five men’s singles players have followed up the victory in Queen’s with a title at Wimbledon just a few weeks later.

The Queen’s Club Championships was certainly an interesting tournament this year. Top stars like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were both returning from lengthy injuries and chasing players like Nick Kyrgios put in impressive performances. Grigor Dimitrov was the number two seed for the Championships and got off to a good start. However, the Bulgarian’s tournament came undone in the second round when he came up against a resurgent Novak Djokovic who won 6-4 6-1 on his way to the final.

“This was a great test playing against one of the top players of the world, a player that I guess prefers this surface the most,” Djokovic said after the match.

“I was very determined to play my best, especially after a great performance in the first round and managed to deliver.

“I broke the resistance in that 10th game of the first set. He made a couple of crucial double faults that obviously allowed me to get ahead, but I thought I was just making him play always in big moments and served well when I needed to.”

Dimitrov conceded too many faults and his return numbers were not up to usual standards against a player who looks to be returning to top form. But that could work to his favour moving forward. Dimitrov was unfortunate not to win that first set which certainly would’ve changed the way the match went against Djokovic. The Bulgarian can learn a lot from the match especially ahead of Wimbledon where he will be hoping to pick up the first Grand Slam title of his career.

Dimitrov will certainly face stiff competition for the crown. As previously discussed, both Djokovic and Murray can take some confidence from their performances at Queen’s while players like Nadal, Kyrgios, Marin Čilić and youngster Alexander Zverev are all in the mix too. Roger Federer is still the man to beat. According to Betway, he is the clear 13/8 favourite as of 26 June to lift the title for a record ninth time. Dimitrov, meanwhile, is in the top ten contenders at 22/1.

So far, Grigor Dimitrov’s best performance at Wimbledon was a semi-final appearance back in 2014. He lost to Novak Djokovic that year and has since failed to make it past the fourth round in the last three tournaments. But Dimitrov’s performances in Grand Slams are certainly improving. He has reached the quarters in both of his last two Australian Open appearances as well as his joint-best run in the French Open back in May. He will be hoping for steady improvement and to take advantage of what is a relatively open field in men’s singles tennis right now.

But it promises to be a tough test for the Bulgarian number one. The likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the major frontrunners for the third Grand Slam of the season. Even chasing players like Nick Kyrgios and Marin Čilić after his Queen’s Club Championship win will have high hopes at SW19. Grigor Dimitrov’s performances in Grand Slams have steadily improved in recent years and he will be hoping that continues in the first two weeks of July. A second Wimbledon semi-final appearance would be some achievement in this highly competitive field but who knows what will happen when there are so many players capable of causing an upset?

Grigor Dimitrov beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3 6-7 6-3 to progress to the second round of the Queen’s Club Championships in London. The Bulgarian played out the first three-set match of the championships thus far and overcame a second-set resurgence from his Bosnian opponent.

The build-up: What were we expecting?
This was always going to be a tough match for Grigor Dimitrov. Damir Dzumhur was one of the toughest first round opponents he could have come up against as the Bulgarian looked for the perfect start in his quest to win a second title at Queen’s Club. It was the third meeting between the two men in singles matches with Dimitrov winning both matches, the latter of which was in Beijing last year.

Queen’s is always seen as something of a warm-up to the Wimbledon Championships. The season’s third grand slam will take place next month and the best way to prepare for a grass tournament in London is another grass tournament in London. Dimitrov is currently eighth-favourite to secure his first career grand slam next month at 18/1 according to the latest 10Bet odds.

Dimitrov made his first Queen’s appearance back in 2009 and already has his name on the trophy. He beat Feliciano López in the final to secure the title back in 2014 and was looking for a solid performance after some inconsistencies in recent years. Dimitrov reached the semi-finals last year but failed to make it past the second round in the two prior tournaments. It was Damir Dzumhur’s first appearance at Queen’s.

“I actually have a special relationship with grass and our time is out there and you try to get the most out of it,” Dimitrov said before the match.

“The transition from clay to grass I need to be ready for. There is so much going on but in the same time the basics of that surface, I don’t want to say I’ve mastered them, but I know those things.

“I need to make the right decisions out on the court and follow my game and instinct.”

The Match
The number-two seed Grigor Dimitrov started the match well. He really took the match to his opponent and took a commanding lead. The first set was a breeze as Dimitrov controlled the match and played on the front foot. He raced into a commanding lead and stayed there, taking the first set 6-3.

In the second, things changed. Damir Dzumhur started to show his quality as the match became a groundstroke battle. Neither player could hold serve and Dimitrov appeared to lose a little confidence. Still, the Bulgarian battled on and took it to a tie-break which is opponent came out on top in.

In the third and final set of this first round match, the old Dimitrov returned. He looked more confident and started hitting the ball cleanly. He produced a number of fantastic winners which his opponent simply couldn’t deal with as Dimitrov took the third set 6-3 to progress to the next round.

The Aftermath: What comes next?
“I was a bit rusty obviously and need to brush up on a few things and come back and get a bit better,” Dimitrov said on court after the match.

“I just want to play as many matches as possible on grass. It's a tough field here and you have to be on the edge every single round.”

He progresses to the next round of the Queen’s Championships where he will come up against former world number 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round. The man who has won eleven career grand slam titles is unseeded at Queen’s but got past John Millman in straight sets to reach round 2.

This was always a probability when the draw was made but Dimitrov played down the blockbuster nature of this second round clash.

“Every round matters a lot here it is as simple as that,” he said on Sunday.

“Obviously, some of the players are unseeded and they have had a great success over the years. But at the same time, it is time to play, it is time to step up the game and if I have to play whoever in the early rounds I’m out there to make a difference.

“I like to say that a lot of things in life are about timing and maybe this is the time for me to get to the next step. I need to do well against those kinds of players early on to succeed.”

It promises to be a fascinating second round clash as Grigor Dimitrov prepares to take on Novak Djokovic. The Bulgarian number one performed well in the first and third sets of his match against Damir Dzumhur but will need to improve his consistency if he is to come out on top against Djokovic. Dimitrov has a history at the Queen’s Club Championship but he will have to look forward if he is to reach the third round this year.

The Dubai Duty Free Championships were going incredibly well for Grigor Dimitrov this year, but it all came crumbling down after his shock defeat by Malek Jaziri. While Dimitrov might be doing much better for himself lately with his recent five-set win against Jared Donaldson at Roland Garros, the painful loss in Dubai is still a bitter memory in fan’s minds and many are finding themselves asking what went wrong?That’s what we’re here to explore in more detail. Below, we’re taking a look at that fateful match and just what had Dimitrov practically giving away points.

The Build Up: What Were We Expecting?

The Dubai Championships were about to get underway and fans were waiting eagerly for the match announcements – and the nit happened. The first round match pairings became public knowledge, and Grigor Dimitrov was a seed 1 player destined to face off against the No. 117ATP-ranked Malek Jaziri. There seemed to be no chance of Dimitrov losing, with fans and bookies alike having him down as a sure win with talk of his second round opponents already surfacing.

This season would be the second time that Dimitrov graced the Dubai stage, though the first time he lose to Richard Guasquet, so speculation was rife as to whether he could break the chain before it even happened. Expectations were high, the bets were rolling in and fans were eagerly awaiting those first matches. Now, we have to remember that Dimitrov was sitting pretty at No. 4, mingling with top players in the men’s game like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, so the outlook was pretty good for the Bulgarian player – until the game started.

The Match

The first set of the match went how most had expected it would – Dimitrov claimed victory in this opening set and things were looking up already. As you might expect, however, this didn’t last.
In fact, what followed was a match filled with back and forth and no clear winner, but through hard work and determination, it was Jaziri that eventually won out with 4-6 7-5 6-4. As heartbreaking as it was to see Dimitrov walk away so early on in the competition, the game was one worth a watch. The nail-biting experience had fans on the edges of their seats,with no advantages on either side that provided easy wins. It was frustrating,it was exciting, it was thrilling and all in all, it was an incredible game to watch.

However, Dimitrov failed to win and given his world ranking, the question had to be asked as to why the 34-year-old managed to win against the experienced Bulgarian.

So,What Went Wrong?

These questions have gone mostly unanswered until now, not least because there simply wasn’t any single, straight answer that could be given. Talks of Dimitrov’s previous illness and Jaziri’s previous success in Dubai had all been considered as reasons, and could very well the cause of Dimitrov’s loss.
In early 2018, Grigor Dimitrov found himself having fallen ill with an unknown virus that had been affecting his ability to play. After a loss against Roger Federer, which hadn’t been the first time, even he acknowledged Dimitrov’s illness, claiming that “[he] was expecting it to be tough. [He] expected to be in trouble to be quite honest.” While he seemed to be recovering by the time the Dubai Championships came around, he was seen coughing after the match against Jaziri, which could’ve very well explained a less-than-perfect performance. Further than that, Dimitrov still doesn’t appear to be at his best with his health, which could point to an underlying issue that could be affecting his overall play.

Then, of course, we have Jaziri’s success on the Dubai court. Jaziri has made no secret of the fact that feels comfortable playing in Dubai, and with his history of playing top-ranking players on those very same courts, he’d been building up experience with some of the world’s greatest. What’s more, his quarter-final best in the Dubai Duty Free Championships in 2014 is plenty proof that the Tunisian player certainly has some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to playing against top-seeders.

Tennis can be a highly competitive sport at the best of times, but when those looking to fight their way up the rankings are put alongside leading players, fans are practically guaranteed an enthusiastic match. Dimitrov’s loss to Jaziri was a devastating one for his fans considering he’s certainly got a much better track record, but the Tunisian player certainly deserves congratulations. With time to rest and recover in the way of health and time to get back out on the courts and regain his momentum, Dimitrov could be back on his feet in no time.

Григор Димитров победи номер 57 Джаред Доналдсън (САЩ) за 4 часа и 20 минути в пет сета 6-7(2) 6-4 4-6 6-4 10-8. Това бе 50та победа на Григор на турнир от Големия шлем. Димитров достигна до третия кръг на Ролан Гаросза трети път в кариерата си. Четвъртият поставен в схемата българин ще има шанс да премине в четвъртия кръг в мач срещу номер 35 Фернандо Вердаско (Испания).

"Страхотно е да спечелиш мач в пет сета. Мисля, че остава с теб, пазиш си го, и специално на клей и тук [на Ролан Гарос]... Беше един от онези мачове, които не изиграх по най-добрия начин, но намерих начин да го спечеля. И ако някои неща не вървяха, физически бях страхотен" каза Димитров.

Григор Димитров трябваше да играе срещу сърбина Виктор Троицки в първия кръг на Ролан Гарос, втория турнир от Големия шлем за годината. Само един час пред мача беше обявено, че Троицки се оттегля заради контузия и щастливият губещ от квалификациите Мохамед Сафуат (Египет) зае неговото място в схемата. Григор Димитров успя да бие египтянина за малко над 2 часа в три сета 6-1 6-4 7-6(1).

"Изкарахме заедно някакво време, когато играехме в джуниър турнири" каза Димитров за Сафуат. "Познавам го доста отдавна. Добро момче е".

Четвъртият поставен Димитров направи 31 уинъра и спечели 88 процента от точките на първия си сервис.

Това бе 49та победа на Димитров на турнир от Големия шлем (49 победи - 30 загуби). Ролан Гарос е най-неуспешният от четирите турнира за Големия шлем, като Димитров има само 6 победи тук. Другите победи са на Острелиън Опън - 20, Уимбълдън - 15 и Откритото на САЩ - 8.

Във втория кръг на Ролан Гарос в сряда Григор Димитров ще се изправи срещу 57ия класиран американец Джаред Доналдсън.

Григор Димитров загуби от Фернандо Вердаско (Испания) във втория кръг на BNP Paribas Open в Индиън Уелс с 6-7(4) 6-4 3-6. Това бе трета поредна загуба за българина след пораженията на финала в Ротердам от Роджър Федерер и в първия кръг в Дубай от Малек Джазири.

Следващото участие на Григор Димитров е на мастърса Miami Open от 19 март.