Grigor Dimitrov: I had to keep calm and follow my plan
Grigor Dimitrov recorded win number 40 of the year when he defeated Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai. The Bulgarian won in two sets by 2-0 (7:6(5), 6:2) and consolidated his place in the top 10 of the ATP rankings. Grigor Dimitrov won 97% of his first serves and committed just 14 unforced errors to Alexei Popyrin’s 28.
The victory kept Grigor Dimitrov’s chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals, where he lifted the trophy in his only previous appearance in 2017.
“I’m playing day by day. I’m grateful to be here again. At the same time, to accumulate matches one after another is very important for me. Very difficult match. Popyrin hits very hard. Serves great and takes advantage of every high ball. So that I had to keep calm and follow my game plan. I think I actually hit the ball very well, so I’m happy with the victory”, commented Grigor Dimitrov.
In the next round in Shanghai, Grigor Dimitrov will face Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic), who earlier defeated Alexander Shevchenko by 2-1 (6:1, 6:7(5), 6:2).
