Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov plays a return to Russia's Andrey Rublev during their men's singles round of 16 match on day seven of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 1, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)
New York: Grigor Dimitrov returned to the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2019 with a five-set triumph over Andrey Rublev on Sunday.
Ninth seed Dimitrov came through 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a clash with either Frances Tiafoe of the United States or Alexei Popyrin, the conqueror of Novak Djokovic, for a place in the semi-finals.
The 33-year-old Dimitrov made the semi-finals in 2019 where he was defeated by Daniil Medvedev having stunned five-time champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.
"I was playing fairly good," said Dimitrov, the oldest player left in the men's draw.
"But for some reason my body got tired a little bit and he wasn't going to give up the match. I had stay patient. I think the biggest thing today was my experience."
Dimitrov saved 13 of 18 break points in the match and credited long-time friend and six-time women's champion Serena Williams for a helping hand.
"She gave me a good pep talk yesterday," he said of the US tennis legend who was watching the match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
