Dizzy Dimitrov beats heat and Cerundolo to reach semis; Djokovic match postponed

By Harvey Fialkov

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – While the Next Gen kids are still representing at this year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú, a trio of greybeards are showing they’re not ready for the rocking chair just yet.

Although after Grigor Dimitrov gutted out a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (3) victory in 2:48 over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in humid conditions at Hard Rock Stadium, he could’ve used a wheelchair.

Dimitrov, 33, was clearly running on the fumes since early in the second set but somehow he used his 17 years of professional experience to overcome losing the opening set despite holding seven set points and then fighting off a match point to continue his quest to move one step further than last year’s final run here where he lost to then No. 3 Jannik Sinner.

The Bulgarian was so gassed after match point, he staggered to his chair and couldn’t even do the customary on-court interview with public-address announcer Andrew Krasny. Dimitrov said he was dizzy and called for the doctor, who took his blood pressure and administered electrolytes. He apparently sat in the tunnel by the court for another 30 minutes before heading to the locker room.

Because of Tuesday’s rains, the postponed round-of-16 match between top-seeded Alexander Zverev and 17^th-seed Frenchman Arthur Fils was added to Wednesday’s day session. Fils was down a break in the third set, 1-3, but managed to outlast the world No. 2, Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a 2-hour laser show of groundstrokes.

The 2:47 slugfest between Dimitrov and Cerundolo created a logjam and forced the postponement of the late-evening match between fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic and American Sebastian Korda, which will now be the third match on Stadium Court Thursday afternoon.

Ticket-holders for the night session can purchase tickets for tomorrow’s afternoon session for $10 in Section 19. Check Miamiopen.com for more information.

Djokovic was asked Tuesday night after he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16 about showing the up-and-coming generation of stars such as Fils, Jakub Mensik, Learner Tien and Fils, that his generation can still play.

“The veterans of the game are still showing that we can play on a high level and it’s so nice to see both Grigor and Gael [Monfils] physically being able to maintain that level of competition to stay with the young guns that are hungry and fit and tough,’’ said the 37-year-old Serb. “The level of fitness and recovery and overall approach to the work from both physical and mental side has improved so much in our game comparing to the time when I was breaking through to the professional game. I don’t recall it being so professional as nowadays.

“Pretty much every player in the Top 30 of the world has a full team of 3-4 people around them who takes care of them, their body and everything so that reflects on the court. That’s why I think that careers are extended now. Twenty-five years ago, if you hit your 30s that’s it, you start counting your days but nowadays it moved to at least 35, maybe even more.

“Of course I’m in that group. I’m not going to get younger but I still feel good about my body and my tennis.”

The always classy Dimitrov was unable to do his post-match press conference with the media but earlier this week he spoke about the younger generation of players.

“The younger generation just wants to hit the ball; they want to crush it,’’ Dimitrov said. “They’re younger, hungry and strong. … For me to adjust at almost 34, I have to cut down on some tournaments to save myself, so I have juice later in the tournament against them.”

Dimitrov will need that juice, perhaps pickle juice (good for hydration) for his semifinal against either Djokovic or Korda. He’s fortunate to get Thursday off to help his recovery.

Although Monfils lost a thrilling three-set match to Korda in the round-of-16, earlier this year the 38-year-old showman won his 13^th title in Aukland to become the oldest champion in ATP history (since 1990).

“It’s both my motivation and passion about the game,’’ Monfils said. “I still love to play. I love doing the sacrifices to be healthy and also to have the will to compete. I’m very happy the way the sport educated me, teach me experiences that I have. I feel like I can keep rolling exactly what I’m doing.”

Fils, 20, said that Monfils is his idol and now a mentor.

“He helped me a lot on the tennis court but also out of the court,’’ said Fils, who will play Next Gen rival 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik Thursday at 1 p.m. “How to be a good man and how to grow up, and he’s a very nice guy. Of course, when I was young I was looking at him, watching him on the court, how he was doing his unbelievable points.

“He’s such a legend for us in France. Now to be on the tour with him, to share the same tournaments, to share the same locker rooms, it means a lot, for sure. I wish him to play a little bit more. I mean, we all can feel like he can play two, three years more. Let’s see.”

Cerundolo, 26, whose career skyrocketed after his surprise run to the semifinals here in 2022 (ranking went from 103 to 47 in one week), had match point on Dimitrov’s second serve at 15-40, but netted it.

On his seventh set point in the first-set tiebreaker, Dimitrov butchered a routine high backhand volley to give Cerundolo the opening he needed. Dimitrov, who protects his serve like a mother hen protects her chicks, won 80 percent of his first serves and was only broken twice all match. Cerundolo had 31 winners and 43 unforced errors to 30/46 respectively for Dimitrov.

On the first point of the third-set tiebreaker, Dimitrov ran to the backstop to chase down an overhead that was followed by another Cerundolo overhead into the far corner, where he stretched out for an amazing forehand pass that brought the fans to their feet and an exhausted Dimitrov to the court.

Then at 5-3, Dimitrov took a second serve into the body, stepped away and ripped a forehand winner down the line. Finally, on Dimitrov’s third match point, Cerundolo’s  forehand drifted wide and Dimitrov bent down while taking deep breaths,

The other American still in the hunt is third-seeded Taylor Fritz. The 27-year-old Miami resident will play resurgent Italian with the rocket serve and forehand, Matteo Berrettini in the 7 p.m. match. Fritz is 4-0 against Berrettini, 28, including a straight-set victory in the second round of last summer’s US Open, which Fritz got to the finals.