The Australian and the Bulgarian have played five times, and De Minaur has won three, but they’ve never met on clay. While De Minaur is ranked eight spots higher (No. 10 to 18), Dimitrov was in top form in Miami, where he made the semis, and that momentum has carried over to clay so far.
I’d say this match could go either way, but one basic factor may favor De Minaur: He’s 26, and he had an easy time of it against a tired Daniil Medvedev on Thursday; Dimitrov, by contrast, is 33, and was forced to go three to fend off Alejandro Tabilo. Now he’ll have to turn around and try to grind down a grinder 24 hours later. Winner: De Minaur
