Juan Martin del Potro improved to 5-0 against Grigor Dimitrov in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series on Monday at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Del Potro dropped the first set but broke the Bulgarian four times in the final two sets to advance 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and eight minutes.
“I think I played well during the whole match. I had my break points in the first set, and Grigor played better in that moment. I think he took the opportunities,” del Potro said. “But in the second and in the third I played solid from the baseline. I hit harder with my backhands, and I think my serves helped to win the match.”
The Argentine won his clay-court opener two weeks ago at the Millennium Estoril Open (d. Yugita) but left the tournament to be with his family in Argentina after his grandfather died. He and Dimitrov, a 2014 semi-finalist, had never played on clay. The two were on serve in the third set before Dimitrov double faulted at 3-4.
“Now it's time to come back, trying to do my best,” del Potro said. “I'm excited to play few matches here in Rome.”
The 6'6” del Potro is now 8-4 on the season. All four of his losses have come against Top 6 opponents (Raonic, Federer and twice against Djokovic). Del Potro will meet Brit Kyle Edmund in the second round. Edmund beat Portugal's Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-4.
Edmund's countryman Aljaz Bedene continued his torrid play on the European red clay, advancing to the second round when Italian wild card Gianluca Mager retired down 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-0. Bedene pushed World No. 6 Milos Raonic to a third-set tie-break earlier this month in Istanbul. In April, the 27-year-old Bedene won back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles and reached his second ATP World Tour final at the inaugural Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest.
American Ryan Harrison will meet sixth seed Marin Cilic in the second round after beating #NextGenATP American Jared Donaldson 2-6, 7-6(0), 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes.
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