Dimitrov gunning for Wimbledon glory

Bulgarian tennis player sets sights higher after Queen’s Club triumph.

LONDON: Grigor Dimitrov insists his Queen’s Club triumph proves he is finally ready to end his long wait for a Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

Dimitrov enjoyed the perfect preparation for Wimbledon as the world number 13 hung tough to defeat Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (8/6) in a classic final on Sunday.

The 23-year-old’s maiden success on grass makes him the first player since Roger Federer and David Ferrer in 2012 to win titles on three different surfaces in the same year after his victories on hard courts in Acapulco and clay in Bucharest.

Dimitrov’s fourth ATP trophy of a career so far scarred by unfulfilled expectations will make him a dark horse for the title when Wimbledon gets underway on June 23.

The 2008 junior Wimbledon champion’s impressive displays on the grass at Queen’s proved he is perfectly suited to the surface and added to the growing feeling he is ready to make the most of the vast potential that saw him compared to Roger Federer when he was a teenager.

“Wimbledon has been closer to me and what I have always wanted to achieve,” said Dimitrov. “It’s definitely on my list to do or to win, and I’m going to have the chance in a week to go out there and perform the best way I can.

“Ever since I’ve played as a teenager I’ve dreamt of winning Queen’s. So I’m just heading into Wimbledon with a lot of positive vibes.”

Dimitrov has long tired of the comparisons with Federer that saw him dubbed ‘Baby Fed’, but he knows the label will never be forgotten until he proves a success on his own terms.

“I think this is a step forward for me. I’m excited with progress so far, but my goals are way too high, so I wouldn’t call it a breakthrough or a coming of age — not yet.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2014.

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