Grim Reality Faces Grigor Dimitrov as Andy Roddick Dissects Novak Djokovic’s Invincible Game – ‘That’s Not Going to Work’

The 32-year-old Bulgarian, Grigor Dimitrov is standing in between Novak Djokovic and his 7th Paris Masters title. The world number one will enter the finals of the tournament on Sunday as a favorite considering his current form in Paris. Djokovic leads the H2H between the two by an 11-1 margin. But hold on, the challenger has been one of the consistent performers this season. Let’s find out what Andy Roddick has to say on Dimitrov’s mammoth task up ahead.

Dimitrov had already defeated the likes of Medvedev, Shanghai Masters winner Hubert Hurkacz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas to move closer to clinching his first title in 6 years. On the other hand, Djokovic had spent almost 8 hours and 30 minutes over the past 3 days battling against Griekspoor, Rune, and Rublev on the road to the finals. Who has the upper hand in this epic battle? The 41-year-old American former professional tennis player has some advice for the Bulgarian though.

Andy Roddick warns Dimitrov ahead of his ultimate clash against Novak Djokovic in Paris

Both of them last met in the third round of the Italian Open earlier this year, where the Serbian got the upper hand. But this time Novak Djokovic was seen struggling a bit with a lower back issue during his match with Rublev in the semis. His fitness will surely be tested on Sunday, as fans wait for a thrilling encounter to kickoff at Accor Arena in Paris.

A wounded lion is more dangerous, so even a shift of focus for a second can prove costly to the Bulgarian. Here’s what Roddick said on Dimitrov via the Tennis Channel Live Podcast. He said ‘Yeah, I mean, he’s always been dynamic, right? He’s been a good mover. He’s a very coordinated mover if that’s the right term, but he doesn’t want to get into those situations where he’s having to rely on that side-to-side movement tomorrow against Novak.‘

Roddick further added, ‘It’s that frustrating thing where something you do well doesn’t fit with someone you’re playing against. He does not want to just retrieve balls and be digging in and out of corners. He’s got to kind of make his impact felt early in these rallies. He has to serve well. He has to take huge cuts and take some chances on the return game. It’s not the matchup where he wants to be kind of on a string hoping for misses from Novak. That’s not going to work.’ Can Roddick’s advice help Dimitrov end his spectacular run in the season with flying colors?

READ MORE: How Much Will Grigor Dimitrov Earn if He Wins the Paris Masters Title? Everything You Need to Know About the Winner’s Prize Money

The Ultimate Battle – Djokovic vs Dimitrov at Paris Bercy Masters

A win against the world number one would be a cherry on top of an outstanding season for the former number 3. But for the Serb, there is a lot more at stake. This win would ensure him a clear-cut 1490 points lead over Carlos Alcaraz in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He would surely love to end the year on the highest note for the 8th time in his illustrious career. Can he do it? 

The 24-time Grand Slam title winner has already quite a few records beside his name. He won’t mind adding a few more with his 6th title of the season. But can Grigor Dimitrov end up making the biggest upset of the season?

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