Dimitrov converts 7th M.P. to seal opening Monte-Carlo win

Grigor Dimitrov may have needed seven match points to cross the line on Tuesday, but the 15th seed is up and running on his return to clay-court action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Competing in his first tour-level match on the surface since reaching the Roland Garros quarter-finals last year, Dimitrov shook off a shaky finish to move past Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 and reach the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The 33-year-old squandered five match points and saved three break points when serving out the match, but made amends to improve on his impressive record in The Principality. Dimitrov now boasts a 24-11 in Monte-Carlo, the second most among active players on Tour. 

Most Monte-Carlo Wins Among Active Players

“I guess you build into it,” Dimitrov said of his return to clay. “ [He’s] a very tricky opponent. You just need to pick it up, that’s just how it is. You don’t have much time after Miami, so I have been fighting to do that. Whether I win or lose, it doesn’t really matter, it’s just about doing the right thing."

Dimitrov had lost each of his two previous meetings with Jarry on clay, but was relentless on return to improve level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2. The Bulgarian used variation in his game to nullify the Chilean's big serving, carving out a total of 12 break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. 

Awaiting Dimitrov, the former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, in the second round is Monegasque wild card Valentin Vacherot.