Grigor Dimitrov (L) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Match Details
Fixture: Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Date: 16 April 2022.
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2022.
Round: Semifinals.
Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €5,802,475.
Match timing: Not before 1:30 pm local time, 7:30 am ET, 12:30 pm BST, 5 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video | India – Voot.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina preview
Grigor Dimitrov at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have set up an exciting semifinal showdown at the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters.
Dimitrov has made a great start to his clay season with his fine display of tennis in Monaco so far. He progressed to the second round after his first-round opponent, Nikoloz Basilashvili, retired midway through the second set. The Bulgarian then had to stage a comeback to oust Dusan Lajovic in three sets in the second round.
Dimitrov was up against World No. 7 and one of the favorites for the title, Casper Ruud, in the third round. He defeated him 6-3, 7-5 to score his first top 10 win of the year. In the quarterfinals, the 2017 ATP Finals champion had to dig deep yet again to win against Hubert Hurkacz. He defeated the Pole with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2).
Dimitrov has now reached the last four of the Monte-Carlo Masters for the second time in his career, having previously done so in 2018.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has attracted plenty of attention with his giant-killing spree at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He started off with a straight-sets win over Marcos Giron in the first round. The Spaniard was up against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Despite the Serb playing in his first tournament in almost two months, he was considered the favorite to win. But Davidovich Fokina upset Djokovic in three sets to secure the biggest win of his career. He then eased past David Goffin, who won the Grand Prix Hassan II last week, in straight sets.
Davidovich Fokina squared off against 2022 Indian Wells Open champion Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. He knocked out the American in three sets to advance to his maiden semifinal at the ATP Masters 1000 level.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina head-to-head
Davidovich Fokina leads Dimitrov 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their only encounter in straight sets at the 2021 Italian Open.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina prediction
Grigor Dimitrov at the 2022 Indian Wells Open.
Davidovich Fokina will be aiming to reach his maiden ATP final in singles, but he’ll have to get past the much-experienced Dimitrov. The Bulgarian has had some decent results on clay in the past, but isn’t as comfortable on the surface as his opponent.
Both players knocked out higher ranked players in the previous rounds and held their nerves to when things looked dire for them. For Davidovich Fokina, an area of concern would be his inability to take advantage when an opportunity presents itself. He won just four of 19 break points in his previous match. The Spaniard might not make it further if he continues to waste his chances.
Davidovich Fokina has hit some pretty clean forehands down the line, along with some fabulous passing shots, which have yielded pretty good results so far. However, he’ll need to control his unforced error count.
It is worth noting that Dimitrov found a way to turn things around after Hurkacz failed to utilize a match point. If the former maintains this mental fortitude, he’ll have an edge in this contest. His forehand and slice combo is something his opponent could have trouble dealing with.
Davidovich Fokina could also feel the pressure of reaching his maiden final, that too at a big tournament like this. If he doesn’t crumble mentally, it should be a competitive match in which he has a good shot at winning.
Prediction: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to win in three sets.
