“10s Whenever” Newsletter Vol. 146

Written by: Staff on 10th March 2014

"10s Whenever" Newsletter Vol. 146

epa04118165 Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria in action against Robin Haase from the Netherlands at the BNP Paribas Open tennis in Indian Wells, California, USA, 09 March 2014. Dimitrov won the match. EPA/MICHAEL NELSON |

There’s only one way to watch Showtime – By Ricky Dimon

Baby Fed. Primetime. Showtime. Mr. Sharapova. He goes by more than a few nicknames.

All of them work. The bottom line is Grigor Dimitrov is a human highlight-reel on and off the court. I had the opportunity witness his on-court exploits from the very front row of new Stadium 2 on Sunday during second-round action at the BNP Paribas Open. While no way is a bad way to watch Dimitrov perform, if you’re really going to do it, you have to do it big. To truly appreciate the athletics and sheer artistry, you have to be right on the court.

After a slow start against Robin Haase, the 22-year-old Bulgarian did not disappoint. Haase played his own part in an entertaining show of furious rallies, but Dimitrov was the star. The especially memorable highlights came toward the end of set two, when Dimitrov produced a down-the-line forehand pass on the full sprint followed by an on-the-run slice backhand volley that he picked off his shoelaces from no-man’s land behind the service line. To the latter, Haase simply replied with an eye-roll to his camp.

Indian Wells’ No. 15 seed soon wrapped up a 6-4, 6-3 victory in front of an enthralled night-session crowd on Stadium 2.

“Stadium 2 is magnificent,” Dimitrov said. “It was actually an honor to play on that court tonight.”

It has always been an honor to watch Dimitrov play, but it is an even more worthwhile experience now that he is a new and improved version of himself [insert some thanks to coach Roger Rasheed here].

“I’m much more composed on court nowadays. I feel really good on court moving and my serve is actually a big weapon. Things are coming together at the moment, but there’s still a lot of homework to do.”

If a lot more homework leads to a lot more excitement than what he is already delivering, we’re in for a smorgasbord of tennis-spectating treats.

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