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Elegant forehand, one-handed backhand, superb at the net and celebrity endorsement waiting for his signature.
No it isn’t Roger Federer, but quite possibly the heir apparent to the 17-time Grand Slam champion.
Grigor Dimitrov will have quietly worked his way into the world’s top 10 at the end of Wimbledon.
At 23, Dimitrov is going to not just be there for a long time, but is potentially be the next big thing. The Bulgarian is well known off-court for dating Maria Sharapova but it is his daring approach and dashing good looks that have earned him several nicknames including G-Force, Prime Time, Mr Hot Shot and Baby Fed.
It is the latter nickname that should have the tennis world taking note. Dimitrov was the teenage star with the elegant style who won the junior US Open and Wimbledon titles in 2008.
His dismantling of Andy Murray in their quarter final was grass court tennis at its finest; precise groundstrokes, big serve, immaculate volleying and construction of points that eventually overwhelmed his opponent.
Like all young stars, it hasn’t been smooth sailing. Until he hired Roger Rasheed as his coach 10 months ago, Dimitrov admitted he was too flamboyant for his own good. Growing tired of his own hype and feeling it was time he started living up to it, he brought Rasheed on board to turn talent into results.
From being an under-achiever, he has finally realised that hard work and an increased fitness base are keys to winning. The results off-court have seen him win four titles in 10 months, including the lead-up event to Wimbledon, Queen’s.
Dimitrov showed what he was capable of at this year’s Australian Open, losing to Nadal in the quarter finals after winning the first set and having his chances in the second. The self-belief he took from that match has only strengthened with recent results.
Standing between him and a first Grand Slam final is Novak Djokovic. The Serbian will go in favourite, however if form is anything to go by, this will be a semi-final full of shot making and grass court tennis at its very best.
Should he defeat Djokovic and Federer prevail in the other semi-final against Milos Raonic, it will be a final that tennis has been long looking forward to.
Federer is the best player tennis has ever seen, armed with records that may stand for the rest of history and looking to add another Wimbledon trophy to his cabinet. But if there was a way of placing Dimitrov and Federer in a still frame and track their movements, the similarities would be frightening.
For Dimitrov, the next few days will be career defining no matter the result, but at some stage you must walk out of the shadows and into the light. Should Dimitrov take the same steps Federer did back in 2003, we may very well be seeing the start of another star.
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