Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov clinched the biggest win of his career when he beat Nick Kyrgios 6-3 7-5 in the final of the Cincinnati Open on Sunday.
Dimitrov, who has toiled through his career with little reward against the game’s ‘Big Four’, grasped his opportunity against the talented but unpredictable Kyrgios.
One break in each set was enough for Dimitrov, 26, to prevail under a broiling afternoon sun on the outdoor hardcourt for his seventh career victory, and his first in a Masters 1000 series event.
Kyrgios could not reproduce the brilliance he displayed in beating Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals, though the Australian displayed some grit to dig himself out from under two break points in the seventh game of the second set.
Alas, it was not enough, as Dimitrov pounced on another break chance in the 11th game and then served out for victory.