Grigor Dimitrov will take on Nuno Borges in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open at the Show Court Arena (KIA Arena) on Friday night ET. The Bulgarian has emerged as a dark horse for the title, while his Portuguese opponent has been a surprise package.
This will be the first meeting between the duo. To get here, Dimitrov eked out two four-set wins. He started his campaign by losing a set against Fabian Marozsan. However, he bounced back to secure the match and face Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. He dropped the third set but held on to win the tie. Borges, meanwhile, has not dropped a single set. He kicked off his 2024 Australian Open run with a win over Maximilian Marterer. He followed it up with a second-round upset over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Dimitrov’s 2024 season is off to a rampaging start as he lifted the 2024 Brisbane International title. Borges, on the other hand, has struggled with early exits from two competitions. However, he seems to have shrugged it off and found his groove in the Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Despite Borges rediscovering his touch, Dimitrov could likely prove to be a challenge too strong. The 2017 ATP Finals champion has upped his game to a different level over the last year and is riding that wave of momentum. His confidence will be sky-high given his incredible form, having defeated two tricky opponents already.
Borges, who has shown he is no pushover, could pose a threat with his aggressive gameplay. Expect the white-hot Dimitrov to nullify it, even if he continues his trend of losing a set, as The SportsRush predicts Grigor Dimitrov to win in four sets or more.
The pair will cross paths on Saturday, January 20, at 3:30 p.m. local time (11:30 pm on Friday, January 19, ET). ESPN and Tennis Channel will stream the match in the USA. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-20s Celsius in cloudy and slightly windy conditions.
Grigor Dimitrov and Nuno Borges form guide ahead of 2024 Australian Open clash
Over the last year, Grigor Dimitrov has been playing some of his best tennis. He returned to the top 15 last year, making it to the final of the Paris Masters and the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters. He closed the year as World No.14. The Bulgarian carried his impressive form into 2024, ending a six-year title drought with the 2024 Brisbane International. He entered the 2024 Australian Open as the World No.13 with a perfect W/L record of 5-0. The last time he lost to a non-top-10 opponent was in early August 2023, when Dan Evans bested him in the semi-finals of the 2023 Washington Open.
Nuno Borges, meanwhile, endured a rough start to his 2024 season. He was eliminated in the opening round of the Hong Kong Open, before a second-round exit in the 2024 ASB Classic in Auckland. The 26-year-old became a tour regular only in 2022, making his Grand Slam debut before concluding the season ranked World No.112. Backed by some good runs on the Challenger Tour in 2023, he rose nearly 50 places to achieve a career-high World No.63 in 2023. However, he faltered in 2024 and came into the Australian Open as World No.69 with a 1-2 record.
Dimitrov is in such tremendous form that perhaps only a top-tier player can hope to stop him. If he wins against Borges as predicted, he will face either Felix-Auger Aliassime or Daniil Medvedev in the next round in what could be his first elite challenge of this season.
