US Open champion Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 loss to world No 28 Grigor Dimitrov at the Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday.
Medvedev was leading by a set and 4-1 and appeared to be cruising to another easy victory when the wheels came off.
Post-game statistics indicate areas where the Bulgarian got the better of the Russian.
Dimitrov made more unforced errors than Medvedev (36 compared to 25) but crucially hit 25 winners to Medevedev’s 16.
The Bulgarian also attacked the net frequently, achieving a 70% success rate in the forecourt (19/27). Medevedev, in contrast, only went in 12 times and achieved a 58% success rate (7/12).
This statistic is vital for playing against Medvedev, who is renowned for standing far behind the baseline. It’s certainly a tactic other players can take note of when preparing to face Medvedev.
Dimitrov also broke Medvedev’s serve six times and lost his own deal five times.
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Dimitrov has now improved to 2-3 in head-to-head ATP Tour meetings against Medvedev.
He’ll next face Polish eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. Hurkacz rolled over Russian Aslan Karatsev 6-1, 6-3.
Picture: Grigor Dimitrov – ATP Tour/Twitter
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