Grigor Dimitrov (Photo : Getty Images)
Grigor Dimitrov is enjoying an impressive campaign at the Western & Southern Open, but faces a difficult opponent in Marin Cilic in the semifinal round of the ATP 1000 Masters event in Mason, Ohio.
Dimitrov is one match away from having a shot at ending his title drought in the ATP World Tour. The 34-year-old Bulgarian, ranked No. 34 in the world, showed another strong performance to defeat American Steve Johnson 7-6(8) 6-2 in the quarterfinal round of the Cincinnati Masters.
Dimitrov, who saved a set point en route to a straight sets victory over Johnson, move into his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semifinal and will be back in the Top 30 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday.
"As soon as I came out to play that second set, I felt a little bit more relaxed and a little bit more confident," Dimitrov said, reports the ATP's official website. "I was looking more for his serve and waiting in a different spot, so that helped a lot."
Dimitrov will attempt to advance into the final round when he faces Cilic, who moved into the last-four stage after Borna Coric retired hurt due to a knee injury in the second set of their match.
Cilic leads Dimitrov by 2-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head career singles matchup. The 27-year-old from Bosnia, who is ranked No. 14 in the world, defeated Dimitrov in the opening round of the 2016 Rio Olympics and should carry some of his momentum in his win at the quadrennial event.
If Cilic wins the Cincinnati tile, he surge into contention to earn one of the six remaining slots for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London in November.
The winner between Cilic and Dimitrov could face either Andy Murray or Milos Raonic, who battles in the other half of the semifinal bracket. Murray got past Bernard Tomic with a 6-4 6-4 win, while Raonic cruised past Dominic Thiem 6-3 6-4.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch 2016 Cincinnati Masters: Grigor Dimitrov vs Marin Cilic live via TennisTV. Live score updates will be available during game days at ATP World Tour's official website.
