Dimitrov shakes Alcaraz and eliminates Spaniard from Miami Open | tennis

The 12th in the ranking, Grigor Dimitrov, showed, this Thursday, that neither the generational difference nor the distance in the ranking mean much on the court. In a fierce duel, the Bulgarian beat the number 2 in the world by 2 sets to 0, with partials of 6/2 and 6/4, oozing quality of play and speed. Dimitrov will face German Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the tournament, this Friday.

With Mike Tyson, Jimmy Butler and other stars in the audience, the Spaniard did not display the same level of play as in previous matches and had great difficulty fitting the balls. In the second set, Alcaraz staged an incredible reaction, but it wasn’t enough to break his opponent’s will to win. This was the fifth time that the two players faced each other in ATP tournaments, and the Bulgarian’s second victory.

Dimitrov started the game well, already taking the advantage and confirming the first serve. Then, the Bulgarian managed to break the Spaniard with ease. Alcaraz had the break point, but lost the third game in a row. Then, the two staged a rally that ended with Dimitrov on the ground. The Spaniard reacted well and confirmed his first serve and scored his first break. The match became difficult again for the world number 2, when his opponent won two more games.

With 100% use of his forehand, Dimitrov returned to the court, finishing a perfect game. Alcaraz confirmed his serve, but the Bulgarian also made his serve count and even broke the Spaniard with an incredible ball, practically on the line of his opponent’s court. Without giving his opponent many chances, Grigor confirmed the service again and left the situation complicated for Carlitos.

In a sudden turn of events, Alcaraz managed to save a break point and close out three games, equalizing the score and driving the crowd crazy. However, the Bulgarian, who was impossible, broke the favorite and closed the set with another game, guaranteeing his ticket to the semi-finals.

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