Damien Kayat previews Frances Tiafoe vs Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Paul vs Jiri Lehecka in selected 3rd Round Matches of the Wimbledon Championships, on the 8th of July 2023.
2023 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
Wimbledon Championships
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Selected 3rd Round Matches – 8th June
Frances Tiafoe 4/5 | Grigor Dimitrov 1/1
Let’s hope the rain doesn’t interrupt this potential classic. 24-year-old American Frances Tiafoe looked set for a glittering career when he reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 Aussie Open.
His raw power and athleticism seemed like the ideal ingredients for a future top five player. But inconsistency has plagued the big-serving American for the last three seasons. But his semi-final run at last year’s US Open announced the arrival of a new, mature version of Tiafoe.
This year he has compiled an extremely consistent 30-10 record. He was a leading figurehead in America’s United Cup winning team and he also reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
He won his first title of the year in Houston before crucially winning his maiden grass-court title in Stuttgart. He just saw off Austrian qualifier Dominic Strickler with minimum fuss, improving his grass-court record for the year to 7-1. Victory here will see him match his 4th round run from last season (where he agonizingly lost in five sets to David Goffin).
Grigor Dimitrov has absolutely breezed through his first two matches, disposing of Sho and Ivashka in fairly unceremonious fashion. The Bulgarian- a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Queens champion- has often been criticized for not living up to his massive potential.
Injury and inconsistency have haunted the Bulgarian once dubbed ‘Baby Fed’ (a cruel moniker if I ever heard one). But Dimitrov has remained injury-free this season and has found a semblance of consistency.
His semi-final run in Rotterdam was an early reminder of what he is capable of. He then reached his first ATP final since 2019 at the Geneva Open (he lost to Jarry in the final). He produced a highly respectable 4th round finish at Roland Garros before bowing out to eventual champ Carlos Alcaraz in the Queens quarterfinals.
He seems to be moving better than I have seen in ages and he has real dark horse potential this year. The variety he has in that one-handed backhand gives him an edge in these relatively slow grass-court conditions.
Verdict: Dimitrov to win in four sets at 16/5
Dimitrov leads the head-to-head rivalry 2-1. Having said that, Tiafoe won their last encounter at the 2019 Aussie Open. I really think the Bulgarian looks primed for an upset here.
Both players actually play a similar style of tennis, relying on strong first-serves and superior athleticism. I think Dimitrov might have the edge due to his court-craft and the variety of that backhand. I can see that backhand slice forcing Tiafoe into plenty of errors.
Tommy Paul 5/6 | Jiri Lehecka 20/21
American Tommy Paul has to be one of the most improved players on tour over the last year. He has been particularly impressive in Slams (he is 12-4 in his last five Grand Slam tournaments).
That was highlighted by his exceptional semi-final run at this year’s Aussie Open. He isn’t your stereotypical American player: he doesn’t purely rely on a volcanic serve and massive forehand. He has more guile to his game, utilizing slice and volleying proficiently.
This explains why the American is such a natural on grass-courts. He reached the 4th round here last year before losing to hometown hero Cameron Norrie. And he reached the final at Eastbourne on the eve of this year’s championships.
Paul just overcame a very tricky 2nd round match against grass-court specialist Raonic, diffusing the big-serving Canadian in four sets. Paul seems to be growing in confidence and will really take some beating.
21-year-old Czech Jiri Lehecka has been one of the true breakout stars on this year’s tour. Lest we forget, this is a man who lost in the finals of last year’s NextGen Finals. He doesn’t exactly have a fountain of experience at the highest level.
But he defied the odds with a herculean run to the quarterfinals of this year’s Aussie Open. That amazing run in Melbourne included victories over Auger-Aliassime, Norrie and Coric.
He followed up those heroics with an excellent semi-final run in Qatar. His form has plateaued since then (which isn’t unusual for a young player making his bones). But he has looked immense in his two matches thus far, taking down Ofner in straight-sets before a crushing demolition of reigning Eastbourne champ Francisco Cerundolo.
He really swats it off both wings and has the ability to artfully construct points.
Verdict: Paul to win in four sets at 3/1
This will be the first career meeting between these two. Paul is looking excellent on grass and should have too much in his locker for the young Czech. Paul’s ability to rush the net and finish points quickly could prove invaluable against baseliner Lehecka.
