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Match Details
Fixture: (18) Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson.
Date: 27 June 2022.
Tournament: Wimbledon 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: £40,350,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson preview
18th seed Grigor Dimitrov will square off against World No. 93 Steve Johnson in the first round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
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Dimitrov's enjoyed a decent season so far, with a semifinal showing at the Monte-Carlo Masters being his best result. He has underperformed at Grand Slams this year, losing in the second round at the Australian Open and the third round at the French Open.
Dimitrov began his Wimbledon preparations by competing at Queen's Club. He scored a three-set win over Cameron Norrie in the first round and then lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets in the next round.
Dimitrov's a former semifinalist at Wimbledon, reaching the last four in 2014. Since then, he hasn't come close to matching that result and lost in the second round last year. The Bulgarian will be aiming for a better showing this time.
Steve Johnson's season has been quite average so far, with an 8-8 record for the year. A third-round appearance at the Indian Wells Masters is his best result on the ATP tour this year. He lost in the second round of the Australian Open and the French Open.
Johnson fell in the qualifying rounds of the two events at Queen's Club and Eastbourne in the lead-up to Wimbledon. A fourth round showing in 2016 remains his best performance at the grasscourt Major to date. The American made it to the second round here last year.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson head-to-head
The two are familiar rivals, having faced off seven times before. Dimitrov leads 5-2 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2019 Los Cabos Open in three sets.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Steve Johnson prediction
Dimitrov's ranking makes him the favorite on paper. However, given his poor results at Wimbledon over the last few years, Johnson will fancy his chances of scoring an upset win.
Both players have pretty reliable serves, so even a minor slip-up will result in the other gaining the upper hand. Dimitrov hit 26 aces and won a decent number of first serve points in his couple of matches prior to Wimbledon. The Bulgarian will be keen to produce similar numbers against Johnson as well.
Aside from his serve, Johnson's groundstrokes pack a punch as well and will look to take control of the points. Dimitrov's likely to utilize his backhand slice frequently to break his opponent's rhythm. A drop shot and lob combo is likely to work wonders as well.
Johnson's record against higher-ranked opposition over the last couple of years has been rather poor. A 2-11 record against top 50 players since the start of 2021 doesn't bode well for his chances. He'll need to step up his game considerably if he wants to challenge the Bulgarian.
Despite his inconsistencies this year, Dimitrov is likely to kick off his Wimbledon campaign with a win.
Pick: Grigor Dimitrov to win in four sets.
