Three matches separate Carlos Alcaraz from claiming the Sunshine Double. He has his sights set on the Miami Open after taking first place at Indian Wells. Grigor Dimitrov, seeded eleventh, will play the top seed in the round of eight. Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, or Fabian Marozsan, the unseeded player, will await the semi-final opponent of the champion.
Currently rated second in the world, Alcaraz is making strides to catch up to Novak Djokovic, who is currently ranked first. He reached the quarterfinals in 2023 after winning the championship two years before.
This Masters 1000 event has continued his strong play from Indian Wells. He has lost only one set while defeating Roberto Carballes Baena, Gael Monfils, and 23rd seed Lorenzo Musetti. His winning streak is now nine matches strong, with just two set losses. Prior to last year’s loss in Shanghai, he had a 3-1 edge against Dimitrov in their confrontations. This match will take place on an outdoor hard court, the only surface they have ever played on before.
With a victory in this match, Grigor Dimitrov, who started the event ranked twelfth, will be able to climb one spot in the rankings. If the Bulgarian can defeat Alcaraz, he will move up to sixth place in the Live ATP Race from tenth. His journey to this point has been fraught with difficulty, and he is now competing in his maiden quarterfinal.
He lost in three sets against eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the last round and Alejandro Tabilo in the previous round. In the match, Dimitrov was defeated by Hurkacz in the third set after losing the first. We think Alcaraz will win in straight sets; therefore, he’s the one to support.
Previous Games and Head to Head
At the Shanghai Masters in October of last year, Dimitrov finally beat Alcaraz after losing their first three encounters. Alcaraz was struggling with self-confidence due to his high expectations, while Dimitrov was performing at his highest level of tennis in the years leading up to that match.
The latter has been true for the most part ever since. However, Alcaraz seems like he’s playing at his very best after his victory at Indian Wells earlier this month. He’ll be confident in his ability to win again against his seasoned opponent.
Our Prediction
Alcaraz wins in two sets
During his time in the US this month, Alcaraz has won eight matches in a row with the loss of just two sets. After defeating the Spaniard in their last match, Dimitrov will be full of confidence, but he may not be able to match his opponent’s firepower.
Even though the 20-year-old is under more pressure than he has at any point in the tournament so far, we still think he will win easily in straight sets.