Grigor Dimitrov, level test for Carlos Alcaraz in the Queen’s quarterfinals

Carlos Alcaraz will face this Friday (fourth turn of the central court, between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm approximately) his greatest level of test on the lawn of Queen’s ATP 500. A known rival such as Grigor Dimitrovready to extend the good feeling shown this Thursday in a complete round of 16 match against Jiri Lehecka.

After suffering badly in his debut against Arthur Rinderknech, Alcaraz grew into the game and was confident in his second game on grass it is from time. He hit hard from the bottom of the court, was able to move his opponent, who did not choose a serve-net game like Rinderknech’s, and knew how to punish the Czech player with his forehand and his backhand. In other words, the Spaniard added sensations to reach the quarterfinals on grass for the first time.

Not much has been done in tournaments over this Alcaraz (Queen’s 2023 is the third, after the last two editions of Wimbledon), but that fight against Lehecka gave him the confidence he needed to believe in their chances in the tournament. Juan Carlos Ferrero’s own pupil appeared after his fight on Thursday convinced of his possibilities, happy with how he adapts on the surface and how he exploits his weapons to add victories.

He knows what to achieve many victories on grass Dimitrov, winner of this tournament. He did this in 2014, the same year in which he was a Wimbledon semifinalist. Nine years later, it looks like he’s about to hit the weed tour againwhere it has been difficult for him to get good results in recent years. Dimitrov has to pay the toll of the previous stage at Queen’s for not signing up to the tournament on time, but it gave him more time to adapt to show himself with great sensations in these quarterfinals.

He has won the eight sets he has played so far, after successive exits of Aleksandar Vukic and, surprisingly, Rinderknech in the previous round (the Frenchman addressed Alcaraz as a ‘lucky loser’) and Emil Ruusuvuori and Francisco Cerúndolo in the main frame. This is to be expected Dimitrov tries to break the game pattern of an Alcaraz in the background which should be inspired by his blows to carry out complex fights.

Of course, Dimitrov has been very good to the young Spanish player at the moment. Both saw their faces on two occasions on the circuit, both with victories for Alcaraz. He won 6-1, 6-3 on indoor hard court at the Masters 1000 in Paris last year and did so 6-2, 7-5 at the Masters 1000 in Madrid this season, on clay. Now, the two will square off on grass, a completely different surface in what will be Alcaraz’s highest-level test so far in his preparations for Wimbledon.