Former champ Borges beats Dimitrov in second round at Bastad

Bastad (Sweden), July 15 (IANS) Nuno Borges advanced to the quarterfinals of the Nordea Open in Bastad, cruising past Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2 for a statement win in the second round of the event on Wednesday. With this win, Borges reached his fourth tour-level quarterfinal of the season.

Borges has fond memories of the event in Bastad, having won his only ATP Tour title at the 2024 edition in Sweden, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final. The fifth seed was at his intense best against Dimitrov, who advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon earlier this month.

Dimitrov was competing at the ATP 250 clay-court event for the first time since reaching the semifinals in 2013. The 35-year-old Bulgarian earned his first clay-court win of the year in his opening match against Dalibor Svrcina – highlighted by a moment of amazing sportsmanship by Dimitrov – but was unable to back it up against Borges, according to a report on the official website of the ATP Tour.

Borges, the 29-year-old Portuguese, outmanoeuvred Dimitrov in the baseline exchanges and was aggressive on the Bulgarian’s second serve, winning 67 per cent of points to improve to 2-1 in the pair’s ATP head-to-head series.

Chasing his second semifinal of the season, Borges will next play the winner of the match between defending champion Luciano Darderi and Daniel Altmaier.

Earlier, Adolfo Daniel Vallejo clawed past Botic van de Zandschulp 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in two hours and 57 minutes to become the first Paraguayan to reach a tour-level quarter-final since Roman Delgado in Mumbai in 2006. The 22-year-old, currently No. 65 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, will next meet Mariano Navone or Stefano Travaglia.

Dimitrov continued his impressive recent form on Tuesday at the Nordea Open in Bastad, where he rallied past Dalibor Svrcina 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-4 to reach the second round at the ATP 250 clay-court event.

Dimitrov enjoyed a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon earlier this month and quickly adjusted to the clay in Bastad, where he advanced to the semi-finals in 2012 and 2013, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. Competing at the tournament for the first time since 2013, the 35-year-old battled back from 3-5 in the first set and recovered from squandering a break advantage in the third set to advance after two hours and 24 minutes.

Earlier on Tuesday, Dimitrov continued his impressive recent form at the Nordea Open by rallying past Dalibor Svrcina 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-4 in the first round at the ATP 250 clay-court event.

That win had helped Dimitrov become the second-oldest match winner in Bastad this decade behind the then-38-year-old Rafael Nadal, who reached the final in 2024. Dimitrov will next meet fifth seed and 2024 champion Nuno Borges, who beat French wild card Moise Kouame 6-4, 6-2.

–IANS

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