Is Dimitrov Back?

Could the Wimbledon run be the start of turning his season around?

Well, it would be an understatement to say that Dimitrov has been struggling this season. Barely any wins for most of the season, losing against players he would rarely drop a set to normally. Especially clay has been problematic... two sets won in five matches, five losses. And no, it was not really against the best of the best... Vallejo and Martin Tiffon, to mention two names. Anyway, he now has a wildcard here in Båstad! Dimitrov really enjoyed being able to use his experience and entire toolkit on grass, and playing on slower clay will be a tougher task. However, I think Båstad suits him in a way. It's a high-end, "luxurious" place that is really nice in the summer, kind of like a mini Monte-Carlo ;) The weather forecast on Monday and Tuesday looks nice, around 25 degrees, without being extreme. His opponent, Svrcina, is exactly the kind of player that he usually tends to handle without too much issue. Of course, there is always the worry that a young and quick player with high rally tolerance like the Czech can become a pain on slower surfaces, especially for "aging" players. However, these kinds of Counter Punchers also suffer from slower conditions, especially on their service games... their serve really sits up and is just asking to be "swatted" away ;) That's why that kind of player tends to do quite well in altitude and on grass... their weaker serves benefit from being a bit more protected due to faster conditions!

Regardless, this match depends almost entirely on Dimitrov, doesn't it? How will he show up here, about a week after quite some battles in Wimbledon? The matchup is very much in his favor, but the conditions, as well as the physical struggles he has been dealing with for a long time, definitely leave us with something to think about...