Miami Open: Grigor Dimitrov Wins Against Alexander Zverev, Sets Up Match Against Jannik Sinner, Earns Return to the Top 10

Miami: Grigor Dimitrov defeated Alexander Zverev on Friday in the Miami Open after his impressive victory over Carlos Alcaraz with another outstanding performance. This set up a matchup with top-5 Italian player Jannik Sinner. The Bulgarian Dimitrov moved on to his third ATP Masters 1000 tournament and his first in Miami with his 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 triumph.

For the first time since November 2018, Dimitrov is back in the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings thanks to the outcome, which also saw him rise to No. 9 in the ATP Live Rankings. His Top 10 standings are separated by the third-longest gap in ranking history, at 260 weeks.

His victory set up a rematch with a Top 5 opponent, as Jannik Sinner, who defeated Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 earlier on Friday, is waiting for him in the Sunday final. With victories in Beijing and Miami last season, the Italians have a 2-1 edge in their ATP head-to-head matchup.

Wrestling control away from a charging Zverev—who was vying for his 11th ATP Masters 1000 title—Dimiitrov secured his 20th Top-5 victory. With his most recent hard-court Masters 1000 final being in Cincinnati in 2021, the German is still seeking his first final at that level since Madrid in 2022.

Dimitrov said, “It was like a dogfight on both ends.” He seemed to step up his game a little bit after the first set, and he was quite strong the whole second set and even in the tie-break. I believe we really went at one another. He placed a lot of pressure on me all the time.

He then had one more opportunity to break in the third set. I did a terrific job of serving, remained, and continued to pursue my goals. The Bulgarian star said, “I think that in the end, I played with a little bit more authority and was moving the ball very well.”

In his ATP head-to-head vs. Zverev, Dimitrov ended a seven-match losing run by winning both of his break points. The Bulgarian, who is now 2–7 in the series, has only ever won once, in their 2014 clash in Basel. A masterful shoestring volley and three inopportune blunders by Zverev helped the 32-year-old Dimitrov win four consecutive games to break from 30/0, capping an excellent first set.

In the second set, the Germans regrouped and displayed almost faultless serving. He made 82 percent (32/39) of his first serves in the set and did not miss one until well into the second. As a result, he was able to swing freely throughout the rallies and never trailed in the tie-break, which he won 4/1.

After saving a break chance at 2-2 in the first set, Dimitrov found himself facing a break point at 1-2 in the third set. However, he maintained composure once again, using precise ball hitting to manipulate the corners and maintain even play in the set. The contest seemed to turn back in his favour after the escape. His second break of the match was soon secured with a stunning volley-winner that sent him sprawling to the ground as he twisted his body to respond to a net cord, giving him a commanding 4-3 lead in the final.

After conceding that anxiety derailed his performance against Medvedev in the Indian Wells fourth round, Dimitrov, who had earlier come one match short of breaking back into the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings, rose to the occasion to serve out the match with two love holds.