Now 12-1 to start the season, Grigor Dimitrov is staying hot in Sofia

Grigor Dimitrov has gotten off to a red-hot start in 2017, and he’s continued to play terrific tennis in his home country this week.

After winning the title in Brisbane—upsetting Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori along the way—and reaching his second career Grand Slam semifinal in Melbourne, the 25-year-old seemed primed for a letdown in the Garanti Koza Sofia Open.

But despite the relatively low stakes of the 250-level tournament and the pressure to live up to expectations as the star attraction, the Bulgarian has risen to the occasion and fought past a potential Australian Open hangover.

Seeded third behind Dominic Thiem and David Goffin, Dimitrov received a bye into the second round. He dropped the first set of his opening match to 267th-ranked Jerzy Janowicz, but recovered to win, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Seemingly settled in, he had an easier time on Friday, dispatching ninth-seeded Viktor Troicki in straight sets.

Now 12-1 to start the year, the world No. 13 will take on 87th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili in the semifinals. Should he win, he’ll meet either Roberto Bautista Agut or Goffin for the trophy.

“This is pretty amazing to me,” Dimitrov said of playing in front of his home fans. “…Every time I’m here, it’s pretty hectic. But what can I do? It’s in the game: No excuses. I’m here to play tennis.”

Dimitrov is playing arguably as well as he ever has, and after his disappointing 2016 in which he didn’t win a title or make it past the fourth round at a major, he has a golden opportunity to eclipse his career-high No. 8 ranking.