Grigor Dimitrov beats Sebastian Korda for Marseille QF spot | ATP Tour

Marseille

Dialled-in Dimitrov downs Korda for Marseille QF spot

Zhang upsets Felix; Hurkacz, Davidovich Fokina advance

February 08, 2024

Grigor Dimitrov downs Sebastian Korda on Thursday in his opening match at the Open 13 Provence.
By ATP Staff

Grigor Dimitrov moved back on track in style Thursday at the Open 13 Provence.

The Bulgarian’s red-hot start to the 2024 season hit a blip with his third-round exit at the Australian Open, but Dimitrov came out firing against Sebastian Korda in Marseille as he rode a fast start to a 6-1, 7-6(5) second-round victory at the ATP 250.

Dimitrov, the No. 13 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, converted two of three break points he earned in a stunning first-set display. He then held off a Korda comeback in the second set, recovering quickly after letting slip a 4-2 lead to clinch a 93-minute win in a tie-break.

“I think the first set was amazing,” said Dimitrov in his on-court interview. “Honestly, whatever I was touching was getting to the right place and in matches like that sometimes it is very difficult to maintain it throughout the two sets.

“In the second he had one look, and he took it. The game he broke me, amazing returns and just amazing play overall. So he kind of took the ball away from my racquet, and I had to find a way to get back.”

What a way to close the set ????@GrigorDimitrov wins the first set 6-1 v. Korda!@Open13 | #Open13Provence pic.twitter.com/nC8XuFN3Ae

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2024

Dimitrov began his year by lifting his first tour-level trophy in more than six years in Brisbane. The Bulgarian is now 8-1 for the season, and he will look to maintain his strong form when he takes on eighth seed Jiri Lehecka or home favourite Arthur Rinderknech in the Marseille quarter-finals.

Top seed Hubert Hurkacz also advanced, moving past Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-4 to make a winning start to his Marseille campaign.

The Pole, who is the defending champion at the ATP 250 event, thundered 13 aces and won 81 per cent (22/27) of his first-serve points to reach the quarter-finals after 67 minutes. The No. 8 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings will next play Tomas Machac.

Zhang Zhizhen and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina marched into the quarter-finals with straight-sets triumphs on Thursday.

Zhang upset two-time finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4 in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. The Chinese World No. 50 won 77 per cent (30/39) points behind first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to advance to face third seed Karen Khachanov.

Davidovich Fokina overcame Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 7-5, his first win in three tour-level meetings with the Finn. The fifth-seeded Spaniard next takes on the highest-ranked home hope in the draw, Ugo Humbert.