Grigor Dimtrov’s burgeoning talent continues to grow and grow, and a crushing defeat of Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka proves he’s a future star of the men’s game. Wawrinka was coming off a very disappointing Roland Garros, which he lost in the 2st round of. But grass is his weakest surface and it clearly showed as the young Bulgarian demolished Stan in straight sets. Over in Halle, Roger Federer continued his march for a 7th Halle title, with a 2 sets win over Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
ATP Queens: Day 6 Saturday , SF’s
Dimitrov vs Wawrinka
He’s already won two titles this year, 1 on clay and the other on hardcourts. Plus he also reached his maiden GS quarter-final at the Australian Open tis year, before losing to Rafael Nadal.
Yes that’s right, Grigor Dimtrov’s star continues to shine and burn brightly in the sun.
It was certainly burning brightly on Saturday, as he swept aside world No.3 Wawrinka.
At 2-2 in the first set, Wawrinka gifted a break to Dimtrov, when he double-faulted.
Grigor rubbed more salt into the wound, when he broke Wawrinka again in the 7th game. Dimitrov then easing to the first set 6-2.
Things got even worse for Stan the Man when at 3-3 in the 2nd, he dropped serve with two wayward forehands. Venting his frustration, he then smashed his racquet into smithereens.
But this did little to turn things around, when a few games later Dimitrov served it out 6-4 for a quite brilliant win.
In the final showdown, the young gun will face veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez who overcame another veteran by the name of Radek Stepanek, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4
Queens, SF results:
4- Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) bt 1-Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland): 6-2, 6-4
10-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt 15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic): 7-6 (9-7), 6-4
ATP Halle: Day 6, Saturday, SF’s
Federer vs Nishikori
Kei Nishikori seems to have become a bogey man for the Great man in recent times.
The Japanese powerhouse has beaten Federer 2 out of the 3 times they’ve played together, including in the QF’s of the Miami Masters this season.
But this time around playing against Federer on his beloved grass for the first time, Nishikori was just about there but could never fully go for the kill.
In the first set, Federer always seemed a step ahead of his younger rival. One break was all he required, en-route to winning it 6-3.
Nishikori offered a lot more resistance in the 2nd set, eventually taking Roger into a breaker.
Nishikori looked like going onto to level the match, when up 4-2 in the tie-break. But Federer roared back to dash Nishikori’s hopes, by winning 5 points on the trot and claiming the straight sets victory.
In his 9th Halle final, Federer will face the very man who nearly knocked him out in the first round of Wimbledon in 2010: Alejandro Falla.
The Colombian coming through a nailbighter with home favourite Philipp Kohlschreiber: 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
ATP Halle, SF results:
2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt 4-Kei Nishikori (Japan): 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Alejandro Falla (Colombia) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany): 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
Birmingham, SF results: Saturday
1-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) bt 9-Shuai Zhang (China): 6-2, 6-2
Barbora Zahlavova Strychova (Czech Republic) bt 16-Casey Dellacqua (Australia): 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
All Things Tennis- from Hamza Shakeel 