Grigor Dimitrov battles past Hubert Hurkacz to complete career set of Masters 1000 quarterfinals

Grigor Dimitrov has battled past Hubert Hurkacz, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals for the first time in his career.

And there's more: he’s now completed his career set of Masters 1000 quarterfinals, having reached at least the quarterfinals at all of the other eight Masters 1000 tournaments beforehand.

DIMITROV’S BEST RESULT BY MASTERS 1000 EVENT:

• SFs of Indian Wells [2021]
• QFs of Miami [2024]
• SFs of Monte Carlo [2018, 2022]
• QFs of Madrid [2015]
• SFs of Rome [2014]
• SFs of Canada [2014]
• Won Cincinnati [2017]
• SFs of Shanghai [2023]
• F of Paris [2023]

Dimitrov, who was born in 1991, is just the fourth man born in 1990 or later to have reached the quarterfinals or better at all nine Masters 1000 events in their career, after Dominic Thiem (born in 1993), Stefanos Tsitsipas (born in 1998) and Alexander Zverev (born in 1997).

MEN BORN IN 1990 OR LATER TO COMPLETE CAREER SET OF MASTERS 1000 QUARTERFINALS:

• Thiem [completed set at 2019 Shanghai]
• Tsitsipas [completed set at 2021 Monte Carlo]
• Zverev [completed set at 2021 Indian Wells]
• Dimitrov [completed set at 2024 Miami]

And he’s only two wins away from completing a career set of Masters 1000 semifinals—he’s been to the semifinals or better at seven of the nine Masters 1000s, missing only Miami and Madrid.

The match was a serving exhibition, with 28 holds in 30 service games—the only two breaks came in the eighth game of the first set (Hurkacz breaking for 5-3 then serving it out) and in the sixth game of the second set (Dimitrov breaking for 4-2 then pushing it to a decider).

Hurkacz was actually two points from victory twice, with Dimitrov serving at 5-6, 30-all and deuce, but once it got to the tie-break Dimtrov took control, opening up a 5-2 lead—which included a tough break for Hurkacz, who lost one of those points after his toe touched the net—and a few points later Dimitrov sealed the victory.

In the end it was a top quality match, both players finishing with more winners than unforced errors—Dimitrov 46 to 38, Hurkacz 29 to 24. Dimitrov hit almost two thirds of his winners, 30 or 46, off his forehand.

The Bulgarian was asked afterwards about completing his career set.

“Finally,” he replied. “It’s been a kryptonite, this tournament, for me!

“Obviously I’m happy. It was a very tough battle today, that’s all. Hubi’s such an amazing guy above all, and I was just happy that I could stay in the match and have such a good run throughout those sets.”

Up next for Dimitrov will be Carlos Alcaraz, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Lorenzo Musetti. Alcaraz leads Dimitrov in their head-to-head, 3-1, but the Bulgarian’s win came in their most recent meeting, a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win in the fourth round of another Masters 1000, Shanghai, last fall.