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Match Details
Fixture: (10) Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini
Date: January 13, 2025
Tournament: Australian Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: A$ 96,500,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv
Fabio Fognini vs Grigor Dimitrov preview
Tenth seed Grigor Dimitrov will take on Fabio Fognini in the first round of the Australian Open on January 13. The winner of the match will take on either David Goffin or Benjamin Bonzi in the second round of the Melbourne Major.
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Interestingly both players retired in their respective last matches, with 33-year-old Dimitrov pulling out when he was trailing 4-6, 4-4 against Jiri Lehecka in the semifinals of the Brisbane International. 37-year-old Fognini was 2-3 down against France's Benjamin Bonzi, in his only match this season in Adelaide, when he decided to retire.
World No. 89 Fognini ended the 2024 season by winning the Montemar Challenger on hlay, but his results on hard court were not impressive, as he lost the last four main-draw matches on the surface. His last ATP final on the hard court was back in September 2018 at the Chengdu Open.
Meanwhile, World No. 10 Dimitrov reached four ATP finals on the hard courts in 2024, winning the Brisbane International while losing in the Miami Open, Open 13 and Stockholm Open.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini head-to-head
The Bulgarian leads Fognini 5-2 in their head-to-head meetings, triumphing in three of their four encounters so far on hard courts. Their last match came in the second round of the 2022 Paris Masters, with Dimitrov winning 6-0, 7-5.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Fabio Fognini vs Grigor Dimitrov prediction
Former World No. 3 Dimitrov will start the match as clear favorite, as he reached the semifinal at the Australian Open in 2017, when he lost to Rafael Nadal in five sets and also reached the quarterfinals on three other occasions. Dimitrov has 70% win percentage in his 14 appearances at the Melbourne Park, having lost the first round only once.
On the other hand, Fognini has lost the first round at the Australian Open nine times in his 16 appearances at the event. The Italian has reached the last 16 four times but never went beyond that. He has a 50% win percentage, 16 wins and 16 losses at the Australian Open.
So considering Dimitrov's much better record and relatively superior form, he would be expected to win for the sixth time against his opponent.
Pick: Dimitrov to win in four sets
