The Miami Open finalist Grigor Dimitrov is looking to make his claim in the Monte Carlo Masters. The Bulgarian, who managed to rise back to the top 10, will play against the Serbian Miomir Kecmanović and will aim to demolish the player to improve his year even further. Kecmanović, on the other hand, is only looking to get a good grip on the 2024 season.

They have experienced a different time in the ongoing season, and their momentum could spell out the results. Regardless of how they step into the match, their mindset during the clash will dictate the victor. 

Grigor Dimitrov vs Miomir Kecmanović: Preview

Dimitrov began 2024 with a blazing victory in the Brisbane International, breaking his 6-year drought of titles. He also reached the final of the Open 13 and the Miami Open, which propelled him to the top 10. He resumed his old position and brought the one-handed backhand back to the top 10. One of his worst performances came at the Australian Open where he exited in the third round. The Indian Wells Masters was slightly better as he faced defeat in the fourth round.

In Monte Carlo, Dimitrov beat Valentin Vacherot in straight sets. He hit three aces and three double faults against Vacherot and had a first-serve win percentage of 75%, which decreased to 51% on the second serve. Dimitrov won 4 out of 6 break points and was only broken once throughout the entire match. He also won 25 receiving points, which helped him thrash Vacherot.

Kecmanović played in several tournaments this year but managed to accumulate wins in only the Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and the Mexican Open. He faced three first-round exits before the Monte Carlo but managed to catch a break at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The former number 27 beat Matteo Berrettini in the first round with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 performance.

He hit four aces in the match and impressed the viewers with no double faults. He won an astonishing 69% of points on his first serve, and 54% on his second serve. The Serb pushed Berrettini to nine break points and managed to win five of them while only giving away one break point to the Italian. He won 26 receiving points, which ended the hopes of the Italian star. 

Dimitrov vs Kecmanović: Head-to-Head

The Bulgarian and the Serbian player have met once in their ATP careers. The head to head is 1-0 for Dimitrov. They played in the 2021 Acapulco Open, which saw Dimitrov emerge victorious in a fantastic 6-4, 6-2 display. Dimitrov gave no chance to Kecmanović as he ended his hopes to advance in the tournament. They have played their only bout on hardcourt. However, they will now play on the slower clay court, where experience, along with current momentum, will decide the victor.

Prediction: Dimitrov to go deeper in Monte-Carlo

While Kecmanović had the chance to transition to the clay court, Dimitrov’s momentum has a great chance of steamrolling him in the second round. The Bulgarian player is back to a level where he is mowing down players left and right and has his mind set on the trophy. Both players come into the bout healthy, which ruins Kecmanović’s chance of a win even more. 

Their win percentage on clay is not far apart as Dimitrov has won 155 of 253 matches while Kecmanović has won 125 of 199 matches played on court. Kecmanović shows better performance on clay, but there is an infinitesimal chance that he will be able to beat Dimitrov, who beat Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz back-to-back in the Miami Open. Do you agree with our analysis?

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