Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov played once already this year on the ATP Tour, and it went Dane's way, but how will this one go at the 2023 China Open in Beijing?
Holger Rune assured everybody that he was in good condition leading up to the China Open after dropping seven matches in a row due to back issues. He certainly looked okay in the match against Felix Auger-Aliassime as he finally snapped his losing streak, though neither played brilliantly.
Rune will have to play a bit better to take out Grigor Dimitrov, who has been a very good player this year, albeit quite inconsistent. It's nothing unusual for him, but you have to take him seriously because he'll beat you if you give him the chance.
Rune was giving a lot of his opponent those chances recently, but perhaps this most recent win will give him the confidence he lacked in previous weeks.
Head-to-head:
They played only once so far, and it was a winning effort from Rune. It came at Wimbledon this year, and funnily enough, that win over Dimitrov was the last one for Rune before he bested Auger-Aliassime in Beijing a few days ago.
Can he do it again? Certainly, because hard courts should be a better surface for him against Dimitrov, who was considered the better grass player when they met earlier this year.
Prediction:
The winner here is really tough to predict because it doesn't depend on either player individually. The best of Dimitrov likely beats this Rune, but it's unlikely we'll see that. Rune's best beats Dimitrov's best, but it's unlikely we see that either, so ultimately, it will come down to a combination of factors.
I have a sneaky suspicion that Rune will be unlocked by this most recent win and win this one as well. I simply can't back Dimitrov and his lack of consistency.
Prediction: Holger Rune to win in two sets.
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