Grigor Dimitrov maintains his flawless performance since the beginning of the year with a second-round victory at the Australian Open, defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Despite facing enthusiastic support for Kokkinakis from the crowd at the John Cain Arena, the Bulgarian tennis player dominated the match, securing success in four sets after a three-and-a-half-hour battle.
Having claimed the title in Brisbane at the season's outset and now boasting seven consecutive victories, Dimitrov controlled the proceedings in the initial two sets, securing three breaks and conceding only five games to his opponent. The third set was closely contested, with Dimitrov missing three break opportunities, ultimately yielding to Kokkinakis, who secured a 6-4 victory. In the fourth set, Dimitrov regained his assertiveness, breaking his opponent's serve in the ninth game after earlier missing five break points, ultimately closing out the match on his own serve.
Dimitrov displayed a significant statistical advantage, concluding with 68 winners and 30 unforced errors, while Kokkinakis recorded a balance of 40 winners and 39 unforced errors. With an aggressive approach and a successful net game, Dimitrov earned 80 percent of points attempted at the net.
In the upcoming round, Dimitrov will face the 69th-ranked Portuguese player, Nuno Borges, who earlier secured a three-set victory against the 23rd-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. This match will mark the first encounter between Dimitrov and Borges.
Earlier in the day, Bulgaria's top-seeded female player, Viktoria Tomova, exited the tournament following a second-round defeat to the 19th-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, with a score of 1-6, 3-6. /BGNES
