Grigor Dimitrov showed his experience and quality as he dispatched Irish
no.3 Conor Gannon 6-2 6-3 in the round of 16
By Stephen Higgins
Lightning did not strike twice at Elm Park on Wednesday, but there were
plenty of sparks on Court 1 as Ireland’s Conor Gannon fell to a polished
performance from Grigor Dimitrov.
There was a buzz around the Donnybrook club and beyond after Gannon’s
extraordinary upset in the previous round, as he recovered from a set
down to defeat former top 20 player Bernard Tomic.
His reward for that achievement was to move up another level and take on
the former world no.3 and ATP Finals winner, Dimitrov. Usually a staple
at grand slams, the Bulgarian is in town trying to rebuild his ranking
and form after an injury-hit spell.
On a bright Wednesday in south Dublin, the 35-year-old still managed to
light up Elm Park with a blistering start. The nine-time ATP titlist
held serve, broke Gannon, and then held again in no time as he
immediately set out the standard required for the afternoon.
It was no surprise to see such an experienced player take control of
proceedings, but the Irishman then held to settle some nerves. As the
set progressed, Dimitrov maintained his advantage as the Dubliner found
his footing on the impressively kept turf.
Through the afternoon, Gannon competed extremely well with his
prestigious opponent given the disparity of over 800 places in ranking.
As usual, the 24-year-old particularly impressed around the net and
caught some solid returns when they were within reach.
As always, Dimitrov was smooth. Along with the massive damage he
inflicted off the first serve, the veteran kept a good length in rallies
and sparred with the backhand slice before injecting that vicious
forehand.
The Irishman grew into the contest and managed to pressure the
Bulgarian’s serve in the seventh game. But a thunderous ace from
Dimitrov righted the ship and he went on to hold for 5-2*.
Elite servers apply pressure not just with their deliveries, but also
due to the stress they impose on opponents because of it. Dimitrov took
an early interest in Gannon’s next service game and a double fault
confirmed the break. It was 6-2 to the eighth seed.
After a difficult half an hour in balmy conditions, Gannon
understandably went off court to reset himself for the crucial second
set.
While it started in a similar vein with a routine hold for Dimitrov, the
Dubliner impressively held afterwards and started to relish the
opportunity to take on the world’s best amongst friends.
On more than one occasion, Dimitrov applauded the Irishman’s play as he
retrieved losing situations and displayed some outstanding feel around
the net. As the second set unfolded, Gannon stuck with the Bulgarian,
much to the delight of Elm Park.
Then, in the eighth game, three unforced errors put Gannon in trouble on
serve. Dimitrov took full advantage and propelled himself within a game
of victory.
Serving at *5-2, Dimitrov possibly showed a touch of nerves with a
double fault, but it made little difference. For a man who has won
almost 500 matches at ATP level, closing out contests becomes second
nature.
Standing on the ad side, a wide serve from the Bulgarian gleaned a
missed forehand return from Gannon and the match was decided. While the
scoreline read 6-2 6-3, it doesn’t give the full picture of how well the
Dubliner competed with a player who has previously beaten Novak
Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
On this day at the 2026 Dublin Challenger, David did not vanquish
Goliath. But his presence was certainly felt and that’s to Gannon’s
immense credit.
