By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Grigor Dimitrov rallied past Julien Benneteau into his third consecutive Queen's Club quarterfinal.
Photo credit: @QueensTennis
The Queen’s Club lawn was a launching pad for Grigor Dimitrov.
The 2014 champion stuck a stylish landing.
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On a day in which fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tumbled from the field, Dimitrov dove into his third consecutive Queen’s Club quarterfinal.
Serving for the match, Dimitrov went airborne for an acrobatic diving backhand volley to open the game then slashed three successive aces closing a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over French qualifier Julien Benneteau.
Dimitrov thumped 15 aces, denied five of six break points and surrendered just six points on his first serve in raising his record to 23-10, including a 16-1 start.
Earlier, ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion Gilles Muller hit nine aces sending Tsonga packing, 6-4, 6-4.
Fresh off his second title of the season on Sunday, the 34-year-old Muller denied all three break points he faced.
Muller powered into his third straight Quen’s Club quarterfinal where he will face either American Sam Querrey or Australian Jordan Thompson, who toppled world No. 1 Andy Murray yesterday.
The 35-year-old Benneteau, who had split four prior meetings with Dimitrov, played with depth and clarity driving some timely two-handed backhands down the line building a one-set lead.
An unsteady Dimitrov fought off a pair of break points in his opening service game of the second set and that stand sparked him.
Dimitrov exploited a shaky service game from Benneteau breaking for a 3-1 second-set lead.
Burying a first-strike forehand into the corner, Dimitrov earned set point. Then the man in black slashed a serve winner down the middle to level the match.
In the Bulgarian’s opening service game of the decider, Benneteau bolted a backhand down the line for break point. Dimitrov erased it sliding his ninth ace wide, eventually holding.
Fast reactions helped Dimitrov carve out the crucial break. Wristing a reflex backhand return winner down the line, Dimitrov broke for 3-2.
Throwing down an ace and twisting serve winner out wide, the sixth seed quickly consolidated in the sixth game.
Serving for the quarterfinals, Dimitrov tasted grass diving for that backhand volley before closing the one hour, 56-minute comeback with a flurry of aces.
Roland Garros doubles finalist Donald Young continued a smooth transition to grass-court tennis.
The 55th-ranked Young broke Viktor Troicki in his opening service game in a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Young broke for a 4-3 second-set, but gifted the break right back at love after 56 minutes of play.
Troicki saved a break point in the ninth game with a kick serve that handcuffed the left-handed American then fended off another break point with a body serve.
A double fault followed by a shoveled forehand into net gave Young a third break point.
Forcing the Serbian to play a volley, Young spun a forehand pass crosscourt breaking for the second time in a row for 5-4.
Young advanced to his first career Queen's Club quarterfinal and a meeting with either the highest seed still standing, No. 4-seeded Marin Cilic, or fellow American Stefan Kozlov, whom Young defeated at Indian Wells in March.