Dimitrov defies early Rublev anger to win in five sets

Grigor Dimitrov reached the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2019 with a five-set win over Andrey Rublev, whose angry outbursts threatened to spoil an enthralling match in New York.

Bulgarian Dimitrov won the first two sets before surviving a comeback attempt by his Russian opponent to seal a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory.

The ninth seed, who reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows five years ago, will face either Frances Tiafoe or Alexei Popyrin in the quarter-finals.

“I think after the first few sets he started to play incredibly,” Dimitrov said.

“There wasn’t much more I could have done. I felt like I had to pull back on the reins a bit and wait for an opportunity.

“I think that was the big difference today, and after that, I ran with the game, but it was very, very challenging.”

The victory is a just reward for the 33-year-old’s calm composure as Rublev’s antics once again took centre stage in the early stages of the match.

He needed medical attention after just five games of the match after hitting his racket against his hand and frequently yelled and ranted angrily during the fourth-round match.

He displayed similar behaviour at both the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, while at the Dubai Tennis Championships in March he was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after shouting in a linesman’s face.

Meanwhile, American Taylor Fritz came from behind to beat eighth seed Casper Ruud of Norway 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

The 12th seed will face Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals after the German beat American Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Dimitrov holds on despite Rublev’s outbursts

Within just a handful of games, the 26-year-old Rublev’s frustrations had already begun to boil over, and the first signs of his mounting anger appeared when Dimitrov broke serve to take a 3-1 lead.

In the next game, the sixth seed slammed his racket against his shoes and bloodied his hand after an error before his opponent consolidated his break.

Rublev called the trainer to treat the bleeding cut on his left hand at the changeover and, still troubled by his self-inflicted injury, failed to convert three break points in the next game.

And as Dimitrov won the first set, the Russian screamed from the floor and the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium was stunned into silence by his latest outburst.

The second set seemed to bring Rublev a more relaxed attitude. In the opening game, he was up against the wall with three break points against him, but he remained focused and fought to hold serve.

But after losing two break points in the fourth game, she missed what should have been an easy volley for the lead and began ranting furiously, the sound amplified under the stadium’s closed roof.

Despite his irritation, Rublev was playing well and finally got the break he had been looking for at 5-3 as an error-plagued Dimitrov crumbled under relentless pressure with multiple double faults.

But Rublev was left laughing in disbelief at his own mistakes as he let a 30-0 lead slip when serving for the set and allowed his opponent to regain an immediate break.

More errors followed in the tie-break, and the Russian squandered a 3-1 lead when six consecutive points went Dimitrov’s way and gave the Bulgarian the set.

It was at that point that Rublev’s mindset seemed to change, and in the third set Dimitrov began to falter and found himself a double break down as his much calmer opponent mounted his comeback attempt.

And although Dimitrov put up more resistance in the fourth set, everything quickly went his way and Rublev forced a deciding set.

However, the tables turned in the fifth set, when Dimitrov found another level.

He sealed the deal by serving out the match, with Rublev’s backhand finding the net to give Dimitrov his eighth Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.

Zverev comes back and beats Nakashima

Zverev continued his quest for his first Grand Slam title by coming back from a set down to beat Nakashima.

The 27-year-old responded impressively to losing the first set and won the next three.

Nakashima got the crucial break at the end of the first set and saved four break points on his serve.

But fourth-seeded Zverev responded immediately in the second set, quickly jumping ahead 5-0 and maintaining that momentum for the rest of the match.

She hit 51 winners and did not offer a single break point to Nakashima in the final three sets.

“I was extremely defensive at the beginning of the match and Brandon played an incredible first set,” Zverev said.

“I knew I had to improve my game and play more aggressive.”