Terence Atmane was no match for world No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday. The Frenchman’s great week ended at the gates of the round of 16, in two sets (7-6, 6-3). The 137th in the world, a surprise guest in the third round, nevertheless once believed in the feat by pushing the Bulgarian to the tie-break in the first set. Hampered by ankle pain after poor support, Dimitrov had to work but won the set (7-3 in the tie-break).
The Boulonnais had more difficulty in the second set and dropped his serve in the sixth game (4-2), a solid Dimitrov on his commitment dictating the tempo to win. Atmane, winner of Christopher Eubanks (43rd) in the first round in two sets and of Lorenzo Musetti (29th) in the second after abandonment, still had a great week and can hope to integrate the 120 best places in the ATP, so put the hand on one of the four wild cards for the Grand Slam Porte d’Auteuil.
In the next round, his opponent will face the American Taylor Fritz, who beat his compatriot Sebastian Korda (6-3, 6-4). At 32, the Bulgarian has never done better than a semi-final in 2014, against Rafael Nadal. In 2017, he won his only Masters 1,000 title in Cincinnati.
