Sofia Open 2022: Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

By Rohit

Modified Sep 27, 2022 17:18 GMT

Match details

Fixture: (3) Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka.

Date: September 28, 2022.

Tournament: Sofia Open 2022.

Round: Second round (Round of 16).

Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria.

Category: ATP 250.

Surface: Indoor hardcourt.

Prize money: €534,555.

Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 3 pm GMT, 11 am ET and 8:30 pm IST.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Australia - beIN Sports.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka preview

Home favorite Grigor Dimitrov will take on World No. 71 Ilya Ivashka in the second round of the 2022 Sofia Open on Wednesday.

It has been a rather up-and-down year for Dimitrov. After some good results early on, his recent performances left much to be desired. He lost in the second round of the Australian Open, but went on to make the quarterfinals at Delray Beach and Indian Wells. The Bulgarian made an early exit from the Miami Open, but reached the semifinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The rest of Dimitrov's clay season wasn't that memorable and he concluded it with a third-round appearance at the French Open. His grass swing ended on a disappointing note as he had to retire from his first-round match at Wimbledon due to an injury.

Following second-round losses at the Citi Open and the Canadian Open, Dimitrov failed to win a match at the Western & Southern Open and the Winston-Salem Open. He then went on to lose in the second round of the US Open, going down to Brandon Nakashima in straight sets. Seeded third in Sofia, Dimitrov received a first-round bye.

Ilya Ivashka was up against Mikael Ymer in the first round of the Sofia Open. He snagged a break in the very first game of the match and held on to his lead until it was time to serve for the opening set. However, the Belarusian was unable to get the job done as he lost serve at 5-4.

Ivashka immediately broke back and served for the set a second time, but got broken yet again. He came out on top in the tiebreak, finally clinching the first set on his fourth set point. A solitary break of serve in the second set was more than enough for Ymer to take it and push the match to a decider.

Ivashka led 3-0 in the third set, but the Swede won the next couple of games to make it 3-2. The duo traded another couple of breaks, but remained on serve after that. Ymer served to stay in the match at 6-5 later on and was one point away from forcing a tiebreak.

However, Ivashka managed to break his opponent's serve one last time to win the match 7-6 (8), 4-6, 7-5.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka head-to-head

They have split their previous two meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Ivashka won their previous encounter at the 2021 Citi Open in straight sets.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Grigor Dimitrov	-105	+1.5 (-275)	Over 22.5 (-130)
Ilya Ivashka	-120	-1.5 (+190)	Under 22.5 (-110)

All odds are sourced from BetMGM.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Ilya Ivashka prediction

Grigor Dimitrov at the 2022 Winston-Salem Open.

This match could swing either way. Dimitrov's record for the season stands at 21-18, while Ivashka is 20-18. Both have blown hot and cold throughout the year. The Belarusian needed three and a half hours to get past Ymer in the first round.

Ivashka managed to win 58% of his first serve points in the previous round and will need to step it up against the Bulgarian. He's used to dueling from the baseline, but is also efficient when coming forward to finish off points. He'll have to contend with Dimitrov's one-handed backhand, which is quite a versatile weapon when firing effectively.

Although this is a match-up with no immediate favorites, Dimitrov is playing in front of his home crowd. Their vocal support might just be enough for him to get going when it gets tough and eke out a win.

Pick: Grigor Dimitrov to win in three sets.

Edited by Keshav Gopalan