By Richard Pagliaro | Wednsday, January 7, 2015

 

Grigor Dimitrov survived match points to edge Jeremy Chardy in his Brisbane opener.

Photo Credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)

Grigor Dimitrov isn't into goal sharing, but spoke like a man with major expectations on his mind after an arduous start to the season in Brisbane.

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The fourth-seeded Bulgarian showed survival skills and benefited from some good luck from a good friend. Dimitrov survived two match points to hold off Jeremy Chardy, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) to reach the Brisbane quarterfinals. He concluded the match kissing the Frenchman on both cheeks perhaps out of gratitude for the pair of double faults Chardy donated while up match point in the tie breaker.

The two hour, 30-minute test escalated into a tie breaker that percolating with nerves and lost opportunities as Dimitrov blew a 4-2 lead as Chardy reeled off four points in a row for a 6-4 lead. But the Frenchman tightened up, clanking successive double faults at 6-5 and 6-6. Dimitrov converted the donation on his third match point.

"Sometimes  your  game is  not  there,  so you need to sort of count on something else," Dimitrov said.  "You got to be ready for whatever is on the other side. I think today was a great example.  Even though  I  wanted  to  play  my  game  and  my rhythm, against players like that it's never easy. You have to pull something else out of the bag."

Dimitrov's all-court dazzle has sometimes earned him the label of ultra-talented, under-achiever. Prior to the 2014 season, he had failed to surpass the second round in 12 of 13 career Grand Slam appearances. He launched last season eager to make a mark in majors and reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and Wimbledon semifinals. But an opening-round exit at Roland Garros and fourth round U.S. Open exit again raised questions about his consistency in the Slams.

Is he the all-court stylist who won titles on three different surfaces last season and thrills with eletric shot-making?  Or is he the player who can grow tight at crunch time, get stretched on his backhand side who owns an unimpressive 8-33 lifetime against Top 10 opponents?

While Dimitrov won't share specific goals, he knows the path to the Top 5 requires deep inroads into all four majors.

"There is always possibility for everything, I would say. I think the first step is definitely Top 5," Dimitrov told the media in Brisbane. "From there you can sort of see the end, and that's the top. In order to do that, you need to win Slams and big tournaments. That's just proven. There is no other way. There is no shortcuts. Play your best tennis, give your heart out, and anything can happen."

"Tennis is action. With the talk you're never going to go any further than what it is," Dimitrov said. "I need to prove that, and I think the most important thing is I need to prove to myself. Only then I can say, 'Yeah, I won a Grand Slam.' Until then, we can just have our presumptions."

After an offseason training block spent with coach Roger Rasheed in Los Angeles, Dimitrov says he's stronger and ready to face the heat of the Australian summer.

"We really good a lot of work. I think physically I've improved, raised my level a little bit, and I think also it showed today. I think after playing two and a half hours I felt really fresh and that I could have gone another two and a half hours, which is good sign," Dimitrov said. "I got to take that match as positive. In away, I'm also excited to get on the court again and try to improve my game."

While 2015 may not be a defining season for Dimitrov, it is an opportunity for him to define himself as a major player.