Grigor Dimitrov (Photo : Getty Images)
Grigor Dimitrov will hope to continue his remarkable run at the Western & Southern Open when he faces American Steve Johnson in the quarterfinal round of the tournament in Mason, Ohio.
Dimitrov scored another upset on second seed Stan Wawrinka at the Cincinnati Masters, in game which the Bulgarian feels a statement towards the remaining competitors at the ATP 1000 Masters event. Dimitrov, ranked No. 34 in the world, converted two of three break points throughout the match to seal a 6-4 6-4 victory over the Swiss.
"I need matches like that," Dimitrov said, reports the ATP's official website. "I need 10 or 12 more of those matches to sustain that level and also to send a statement not only for me, but towards everyone. I'm here to play and here to compete."
The victory booked Dimitrov a quarterfinal match against Johnson, who also staged his own shocker after defeating seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6(4) in the third round. Johnson's impressive win over Tsonga ensures he will become the top-ranked American next week, taking over the spot that John Isner held since July 2013.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. I just found out, so it's an honour," Johnson said. "John has held that spot for a while, and I'm just glad that there are a bunch of Americans pushing towards the top."
Johnson leads Dimitrov by 2-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head singles career matchup, winning the last two of their meetings, most recently in Round 32 of Wimbledon this year. Dimitrov knows the confidence Johnson is building, but the 25-year-old Bulgarian feels good about his chances come match time.
"Stevie has got a lot of confidence. He's pumped to play, but so am I," Dimitrov said. "It all depends on how I'm going to play and really making it happen in the clutch moments."
The winner between Dimitrov and Johnson will face either Borna Coric or Marin Cilic, who also defeated top-seeded players to advance into the last-eight stage. Coric managed a stunner over Rafael Nadal with a 6-1 6-3 victory, while Cilic took a three-setter victory over Tomas Berdych 6-3 4-6 6-4.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch 2016 Cincinnati Masters: Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson live via TennisTV. Live score updates will be available during game days at ATP World Tour's official website.
