WATCH: Grigor Dimitrov builds his perfect player, includes Federer, Djokovic and Kyrgios but leaves out Nadal

Dimitrov picked Nishikori's backhand for his 'perfect' player.

WATCH: Grigor Dimitrov builds his perfect player, includes Federer, Djokovic and Kyrgios but leaves out Nadal

Grigor Dimitrov builds his perfect player (Image va user generated content)

Former World No.3 Grigor Dimitrov made a notable omission while building his perfect player. Dimitrov’s one-handed backhand has often been compared to that of Roger Federer. Both players possess unparalleled elegance on the backhand side. But Dimitrov picked Federer’s forehand as his ‘Perfect’ player. The Bulgarian mentioned that Federer never missed a forehand while playing against him.

The surprise pick for the backhand side was the Japanese player, Kei Nishikori. For the serve, Dimitrov chose Aussie pro Nick Kyrgios. The most obvious pick was for the return of the serve as Dimitrov chose the World No.1 Novak Djokovic. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is arguably the best returner the game has ever seen. Mentioning slice as the first shot he ever learned, Dimitrov fancied himself for that aspect of the sport. 2-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt was chosen for his competitiveness.

YouTube video

Eagle-eyed fans on social media were quick to point out the absence of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal from the list. The pair have faced each other 15 times with Dimitrov managing only 1 win. The most memorable encounter came in the semi-final of the 2017 Australian Open. Nadal defeated Dimitrov 6-3,5-7,7-6(5),6-7(4),6-4 to book a spot in the final against long-term rival Federer.

FS Video

His only win came at the China Open in 2016. The Bulgarian pro won the quarter-final encounter in straight sets.

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Grigor Dimitrov to play Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of China Open

World No.19 Grigor Dimitrov will face American pro Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the ATP 500 China Open on Friday 29 September. McDonald, the World No. 39, began his year in style, as he upset defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the second round. Dimitrov leads the head-to-head 2-1. Their most recent meeting came in the first round of the Washington Open, where Dimitrov won in straight sets.

Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov
Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov (Credits: user generated content)

The Bulgarian heads into the China Open on the back of a semi-final defeat in the Chengdu Open at the hands of Alexander Zverev. The top seed at the Chinese ATP 250 saved all five break points he faced in his 6-3, 7-6(2) semi-final victory. The German went on to win the final to start his Asian hard-court swing on a perfect note.

At the US Open, Dimitrov suffered similar fortunes against Zverev as he lost the third round match in 4 sets. In fact, Dimitrov’s last three tour defeats came at the hands of Zverev. Leading up to the US Open, Zverev got the better of Bulgarian in the first round of Cincinnati Masters.

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