Day 7 of the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, featured Tommy Robredo beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to make the fourth round. The Tennis Review awards Robredo the title of Player of the Day.
Tommy Robredo, seeded 17, beat world no.11 Grigor Dimitrov in the Indian Wells third round 15 years after he made his 2000 ATP 1000 debut at Madrid, then played in Stuttgart.
Robredo lost that debut match but that losing start was anything but a sign of things to come- before this year’s Indian Wells, Robredo had a win-loss ATP 1000 record of 127-93. Those numbers include his 2006 Hamburg title and runs to two Cincinnati semi-finals, and the semi-finals of Hamburg and Paris.
It will be the 32 year old’s fifth appearance in the Indian Wells last sixteen after making it to that stage in 2005 and from 2009-2011.
Dimitrov is the highest ranked player Robredo has beaten at the BNP Paribas Open. The Spaniard led him 1-1 before the match and avenged a three set loss in Toronto last season.
The veteran took the first set 6-4 before being brushed aside in the second set 1-6. In the third set, Robredo had the advantage of serving first and stayed with Dimitrov all the way to leading 6-5.
In the 12th game, with Dimitrov leading 15-0, the Bulgarian hit a rally ball to Robredo’s forehand. The 17th seed hit a big forehand down the line to the Dimitrov backhand that got Dimitrov on the stretch and sent back a short return. Robredo struck another huge forehand, this time cross-court, for a winner.
The forehand is Robredo’s best shot, and it made a big impression on Dimitrov in that final game. The Bulgarian went for his second serve on the next point a little too much to avoid getting involved in another rally with the steady and tactically smart Spaniard whose forehand was in form, and hit a double fault.
That double fault meant Dimitrov was 15-30 down. The Bulgarian then double faulted again and Robredo had match point.
The Spaniard hit another strong forehand down the line and then moved forward to hit a winning backhand volley to take the match.
The world no. 19 now faces Milos Raonic for a place in the quarter-finals.
Watch highlights of Robredo’s win over Dimitrov below.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
Follow ATP Tennis with The Tennis Review.
thetennisreview 
Leave a comment