Bastad, Sweden — Grigor Dimitrov opened his Nordea Open campaign with a three-set win over Dalibor Svrcina, advancing 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4 on Tuesday at the ATP 250 clay event.
The 35-year-old rallied from 3-5 down in the first set, dropped the second, and overcame a brief slip in the decider to close out the match after two hours and 24 minutes. Returning to Bastad for the first time since 2013, Dimitrov has previously reached the semi-finals here in 2012 and 2013 and arrived on the back of a run to the Wimbledon fourth round earlier this month. He is the second-oldest match winner in Bastad this decade, behind Rafael Nadal, who was 38 when he made the final in 2024.
Dimitrov’s Next Challenge
Dimitrov next faces fifth seed and 2024 champion Nuno Borges, who defeated French wild card Moise Kouame 6-4, 6-2. This upcoming match promises to be an exciting clash, as both players seek to advance further in the tournament.
Andrea Pellegrino, ranked No. 138, beat Norwegian Nicolai Budov Kjaer 6-3, 6-2 to claim his first tour-level victory since May in Rome, where he reached the fourth round with a win over Frances Tiafoe. Pellegrino will play top seed Andrey Rublev in the next round, a match that will test his skills against one of the best in the sport.
Seeds also progressed elsewhere: sixth seed Botic van de Zandschulp edged Taro Daniel 7-6 (0), 6-4, and Thiago Agustin Tirante defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4. With the competition heating up at the Nordea Open, fans can expect thrilling matches as players vie for the championship title.