Grigor Dimitrov nearly brought the roof down at the Royal Tennis Hall during Saturday night's dramatic semi-final victory over Tallon Griekspoor. Dimitrov faced a tough challenge against the seventh-seeded Dutch player but showed great strength in crucial moments, winning 2-6 7-5 6-4.
The third-seeded Dimitrov is set for his fourth final in the BNP Paribas Nordic Open. The beloved Bulgarian has also amassed a total of 20 match victories in Stockholm, a feat achieved by only 14 other players in the tournament's 55-year history.
In Sunday’s final, Dimitrov will face fourth-seeded Tommy Paul. Much is at stake, as both hope to win their second title in the prestigious ATP tournament and are fighting for a spot in the prestigious ATP Finals in Turin.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow and I won’t hide the fact that I want to win. But the most important thing is to always try to find joy, which isn’t always easy if the game isn’t going well. In tennis, it often comes down to finding a game that is 1% better than your opponent's," commented Dimitrov, who has a 1-1 record against his final opponent.
Grigor Dimitrov made his first appearance in Stockholm back in 2009 as an 18-year-old. Since then, the world No. 10 has won 20 matches at the Royal Tennis Hall. The fifteen members of the exclusive 20 Club are presented below.
Players, Match Record
- Stefan Edberg, 34-13
- John McEnroe, 27-2
- Stan Smith, 27-10
- Thomas Johansson, 27-11
- Björn Borg, 26-7
- Mats Wilander, 26-11
- Boris Becker, 25-4
- Thomas Enqvist, 25-11
- Jarkko Nieminen, 25-16
- Tom Okker, 24-10
- Wojtek Fibak, 24-10
- Magnus Gustafsson, 24-12
- Arthur Ashe, 22-4
- Jimmy Connors, 21-7
- Grigor Dimitrov, 20-8