Emotional Dimitrov enjoys Wimbledon redemption with stunning win over Mensik

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dimitrov-grigor/SQgEEKh4/"]Dimitrov[/a] defeated 15th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Mensik[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/dimitrov-g-SQgEEKh4/mensik-j-UFj257G8/?mid=6XIl2Xge"]7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3[/a] on Court One to banish the demons of his agonising exit last year.[/p][p]The 35-year-old celebrated his redemptive success with an outpouring of joy and disbelief so touching that the crowd rose to give him a standing ovation.[/p][p]Dimitrov will play former Wimbledon finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrettini-matteo/OhwtM7N8/"]Matteo Berrettini[/a] for a place in the last 16, but regardless of how long his run in the grass-court Grand Slam lasts, he has finally expunged the bitter taste of his exit against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] last year.[/p][p]The Bulgarian had been forced to withdraw due to injury within touching distance of a shock victory over Sinner after taking a two-set lead against the Italian in the fourth round.[/p][embed guid="481e7bc7-4da9-4dca-876a-8537b23875d9" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2072780535659716676" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]I'm very emotional and a little bit overwhelmed at the moment[/b]," Dimitrov said before briefly halting his on-court interview as his tears flowed.[/p][p]"[b]All I wanted to do is just come out and fight, that was my goal. I didn't even think about winning or losing[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I thank my team, my friends, my family and my girlfriend, everyone that has been with me through that path. The path here has been so difficult[/b].[/p][p]"[b]It is all about conquering myself and playing tennis like I did today, regardless of the outcome[/b]."[/p][p]Before injury struck against Sinner, Dimitrov had been playing some of the best tennis of a career that has promised so much but delivered too little when the stakes were highest.[/p][p]Just as a potentially life-changing victory was within his grasp, Dimitrov suffered a right pectoral injury while serving an ace.[/p][h2]'All you can do is smile'[/h2][p]He stayed on court for treatment before briefly disappearing down the tunnel, forced to withdraw in tears.[/p][p]It was the fourth consecutive Grand Slam he had retired from mid-match and he didn't return to the ATP Tour for several months.[/p][p]Dimitrov's mental scars took longer to heal than the physical wound he suffered that night against Sinner.[/p][p]His form deserted him and by the time he returned to Wimbledon last week to practice ahead of the tournament, his ranking was down to a lowly 146.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="892ed97e-9d16-4c96-8a60-4429dcd69eea" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4f4f4aa6-c891-4d88-a3da-2d97bc0946ea" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The former world number three, who won the prestigious season-ending ATP Tour Finals in 2017, has never reached a Grand Slam final.[/p][p]His breakthrough run at a major took him to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2014 where he was beaten by eventual champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a].[/p][p]That was a familiar story for Dimitrov -- the eternal bridesmaid -- as Sinner also went on to win Wimbledon last year after surviving his encounter with the Bulgarian.[/p][p]Dimitrov lost in the 2017 Australian Open semi-finals and the 2019 US Open semi-finals.[/p][p]Granted a wild-card entry into this year's tournament by Wimbledon organisers, Dimitrov has seized his chance.[/p][p]After holding off a determined fight from Mensik in a pulsating clash, Dimitrov admitted he was relieved to avoid more Wimbledon heartache.[/p][p]"[b]Yes indeed. I got broken in the first game of the fourth set so that wasn't a great start. I looked up four or five times, hoping that I was going to finish the match before they decided to close the roof[/b]," he said.[/p][p]"[b]It was almost like deja vu, but all you can do is smile. What happened in the past stays there and I have to embrace what comes next, whether it is good or bad[/b]."[/p][infobox id="e4d8200d-597f-48d7-83c2-d394f1217426" /]