Miami Open top seed Carlos Alcaraz said Grigor Dimitrov “made me feel like I’m 13 years old” in the Spaniard’s shock 6-2, 6-4 quarter-final loss to the world number 12.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Alcaraz “couldn’t find solutions” as Dimitrov threatened to drub the former world number one, who began a comeback from 4-1 down in the second set before being broken for a fourth time in a 92-minute defeat.
“I couldn’t find the way to make him feel uncomfortable,” conceded Alcaraz. “Once you’re on the court, it’s even hard to see where you have to go or what you have to do.
“It was a great game from his side. I feel I played good – not perfect – tennis, but I have a lot of frustrations because he made me feel like I’m 13 years old.
“It was crazy – I was talking to my team, saying that I don’t know what I have to do. I really want to see the stats: they are going to rank him 10 or 9.9 [out of 10], something like that. Seeing Gregor playing at this level, he is really tough to play against.”
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Bulgarian Dimitrov won the ATP Finals in 2017 but has never been beyond the semi-finals at a Grand Slam.
The 32-year-old will return to the top 10 for the first time in seven years if he beats Alex Zverev to reach the final in Florida.
Alcaraz v Dimitrov: Bulgarian ‘very proud’
“I’m very, very proud of myself that I was able to play such a good and clean match,” said Dimitrov.
“I’m very grateful to be this far into a Masters event and very, very excited for what’s to come.
Peak Dimitrov is SPECIAL 🌟
Relive a breathtaking performance from @GRIGORDIMITROV vs Alcaraz in Miami! PIC.TWITTER.COM/RFE5CBRUOH
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) MARCH 29, 2024
“I always call Carlos a firecracker: he’s amazing and I love watching him play. I love practising and competing against him.
“I’m 12 years older than him so it’s a lot of fun for me to challenge myself. It’s a great opportunity. You cannot let him hit the ball.
“We have limited time to celebrate. The most important thing is to get ready and prepare for the next match.”
