WHAT HAPPENED: Grigor Dimitrov dispatched Australian Rinky Hijikata in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, 7-6(4), at the 2024 US Open on Wednesday.
Dimitrov, the No. 9 seed, immediately dominated the first game, and did not concede any points to the No. 62-ranked Hijikata. He took game one in a brisk three minutes, setting the pace early on in the Round 2 match.
Between the first and second game, Dimitrov grabbed a big pile of towels to bring to his chair, and then offered Hijikata a few. “Do you want some?”
That would be the last of the pleasantries the Bulgarian extended to the young Aussie in the match. While his charisma is known well beyond the baseline, Dimitrov hasn’t ascended to the world No. 9 rank riding on his charms.
Dimitrov controlled the match with deep shots to keep Hijikata at the baseline with little opportunity to approach the net.
23-year-old Hijikata tried to hold Dimitrov in his first service game. The world No. 62 traded advantages with the Bulgarian in game two, but two unforced errors closed the game and gave Dimitrov the first break of the set. Just when it seemed Hijikata was primed to push a winner at Dimitrov, he couldn’t close and would strike balls into the net, posting 11 unforced errors in the first set.
Dimitrov’s momentum continued, and he easily took the first two sets from Hijikata and only dropped two games in the process.
But Hijikata did not surrender so easily. Hijikata has a knack for coming back from being down. In 2023, he rallied in three consecutive matches from a set down en route to his first ATP semifinal, in 's-Hertogenbosch.
In the third set, Hijikata managed to push Dimitrov to a tiebreak. Dimitrov was first up to the line, and relied on his lethal serve to quickly go up 2-0. Hijikata, the comeback competitor that he is, battled back, and it took Dimitrov six match points before finally taking the victory.
WHAT IT MEANS: Dimitrov will next face world No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands for the first time.
Should he prove successful in Round 3, he could potentially face his fiercest opponent yet in Queens in No. 6 Andrey Rublev. The pair have met seven times, and Rublev leads their head-to-head, 4-3.
MATCH POINT: Dimitrov’s latest win in Flushing Meadows punched the Bulgarian’s fourth and final Round 3 ticket at a Slam this year. 2024 has been a building season for the veteran player, who reached a career-high rank of No. 3 in 2017, but in the years since has seen a steady descent in the ranks. In April, Dimitrov found himself ranked in the Top 10 again for the first time in six years after a deep run in Miami before falling to Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final.
Dimitrov credited his positivity and attitude in his post-match press conference for his success this year.
“And it’s all about, in the end, [it] comes down to your own attitude, to your own way of pushing yourself, believing in yourself. Because no one can do that for you, no one can save you from that if you don't push yourself and pat yourself on the shoulder.”
