It’s time for a classic grass court battle at the first round of the Queen’s Club Championships. In-form Grigor Dimitrov takes on the French challenger, Adrian Mannarino, for the second time this year. Both players look forward to gaining a fair bit of confidence from this tournament and carrying forward the winning momentum to the Wimbledon Championships. Who will win this epic contest?

Well, Grigor Dimitrov started the 2024 season on a high note by winning a title at the Brisbane International. Apart from that, he has also reached two finals, one SF and one QF, in his previous tournaments this year. On the other hand, Adrian Mannarino’s best record came at the Dallas Open, where he reached the SF. The Frenchman has looked pretty ordinary in the rest of the tournaments this year. It’ll be interesting to see if he can really put up a tough fight against the world number 10.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Adrian Mannarino: Preview

Dimitrov was last seen in action at the QF of the French Open. He was defeated by the current world number one, Jannik Sinner, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3). The Bulgarian tennis star hit five aces and committed an equal number of double faults against the Italian. He won 67% of his first serve and 50% of his second serve. However, he could only convert one out of his two breakpoints against Sinner.

Grigor Dimitrov has already tasted a title triumph this year, and he is looking forward to grabbing his second title in the 2024 season. Looking at his numbers from this season, Dimitrov has hammered 242 aces and committed 100 double faults. He has won 88% of his service games and just 21% of his return games this year.

Now, shifting our focus to his opponent in the Queen’s Club Championship, Mannarino was defeated by the Dutch tennis player Gijs Brouwer in the R16 match at the s-Hertogenbosch, NL. Brouwer defeated him by 6-3 ,6-3, and Mannarino could only manage to hit three aces against the Dutchman. However, he committed two double faults, and his win percentage on first serve and second serve was 53% and 58%, respectively. Mannarino converted one out of his three breakpoints against Gijs Brouwer.

He has hit a total of 102 aces this season and has committed 43 double faults. The 35-year-old French tennis player has won 72% of his service games and just 16% of his return games this year. Both players have faced each other quite a few times in their careers, but who has the edge in the H2H?

Dimitrov vs Mannarino: Head-to-Head

Both the players have met each other five times in their careers so far. Grigor Dimitrov currently has a 5-0 lead over Adrian Mannarino in the H2H scoreline. Their first meeting was at the QF of the 2016 Delray Beach Open, where the Bulgarian player comfortably defeated the French 6-4, 7-5.

Even in their latest faceoff, which came this year at the Indian Wells Masters, Dimitrov showcased a dominating performance against Mannarino. He defeated him 6-3, 6-3, and fired nine aces, committing just two double faults in the entire match. On the other hand, Adrian Mannarino hit four aces and committed three double faults. He won 68% of his first serve and 48% of his second serve, while it was 88% and 81%, respectively, for Grigor Dimitrov. However, the former world number three could only manage to convert three out of his twelve breakpoints in that match, while Mannarino failed to convert his only breakpoint chance.

Prediction: Dimitrov to win in straight sets

Grigor Dimitrov won the title when it was known as the Aegon Championships in 2014, while Adrian Mannarino never made it past the quarterfinals. Both the players know the surface pretty well. But if we look at their current form, Dimitrov has a win-loss record of 28-10 this season compared to Mannarino’s 9-15. The Frenchman is known for his defensive baseline game, which is accompanied by a counter-punching playing style. Mannarino has an accurate shot-taking ability and can regulate the pace of the game very well.

Talking about the pace, ‘Baby Fed’, too, has the ability to catch his opponents off-guard by generating sudden pace in the baseline rallies. However, his signature shot is the one-handed backhand. Grigor Dimitrov’s variety and flexibility in his game is what makes his playing style so classy. Adrian Mannarino is currently ranked 21 in the world. Looking at their current form, their difference in ranking, and their H2H record, Dimitrov looks clearly ahead in this contest.