Can Dimitrov upset Djokovic?

Today may well be the day of reckoning for Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov. A victory here against world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round of French Open will do a world of good to the career of this highly-acclaimed torch bearer of the next generation. If he is indeed able to move to the fourth round, surpassing one of the greats in the game today, he would soon succeed in registering his own identity rather than being known as “Baby Federer” or “Sharapova’s boyfriend.”

The success which he had tasted in the second round of Madrid Open three weeks ago, when he prevailed over Djokovic in three tough sets, has made today’s clash one of the most highly-anticipated duels in this year’s French Open. Although it may be naïve on our part to expect the Bulgarian to cause an upset again, the chances of such an occurrence cannot be completely ruled out.

Djoker will obviously start as the favourite going into today’s match against the 22-year-old sensation. However, it needs to be remembered that going by the current form, he has not done anything special after lifting the trophy at Monte Carlo. The second round exit from Madrid (technically it should be called the first round exit, since top seeds get a bye in the opening rounds of Masters events) and being knocked out in the quarter finals of Rome does not augur well for the Serbian supremo. Besides, he is yet to complete his career Grand Slam and has been in the final here only once.

Grigor, on the other hand, has been having a good year so far, not in terms of winning titles, but in terms of standing toe-to-toe with the top-ranked players. Not long before upsetting Djokovic in Madrid, he had almost beaten Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo. However, the phenomenal experience of the Spaniard finally came to his aid as he just managed to dash the hopes of his opponent, who was on the road to causing the biggest upset of the year.

The momentum may well be in Bulgarian’s favour today, given the fact that he has done so well thus far. On the contrary, the Serb has performed much below par after having won his fourth Australian Open this year. Yes, he did stop Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo, but given his reputation, he has been having a sedate season so far. However, that does not mean we have an upset on the cards today. After all, the six-time Grand Slam champion is well-known for his mental toughness and remarkable comebacks, especially on match points. But then, due to his recent accomplishments, the Bulgarian can contest in this match with more confidence as he knows how to beat Novak.