By Tony Fairbairn
- Jacob Fearnley [Q] def Tomas Machac [19] 1-6 6-3 6-2
- Fearnley v Grigor Dimitrov [15] | H2H: First Meeting
MADRID, SPAIN – Jacob Fearnley earned the biggest win of his career against Tomas Machac in Madrid to set up a third round meeting with Grigor Dimitrov.
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Jacob Fearnley [Q] def Tomas Machac [19] 1-6 6-3 6-2
Jacob Fearnley produced the biggest win of his career, defeating Tomas Machac in three sets to reach the third round in Madrid. The Brit didn’t make the best start to the match as Machac used his experience and power to be authoritative, neutralising Fearnley’s game. This was evident as the 19th seed broke in the second game before sealing a 3-0 lead.
Although Fearnley continued to search for solutions, the Brit lacked the clinical final touch as two break points were saved from Machac. The Czech Republican won all the key points on serve before sealing the crucial blow as he broke comfortably for a 5-1 lead. A comfortable 28 minute set was sealed with a hold to love as Machac was in cruise control.
The most critical part of the match was approaching with Machac continuing to apply pressure on return. Three break points were created by Machac but some big serving from Fearnley saw him avoid trouble as he took a 2-1 lead. That seemed to be the turning point of the entire contest as Fearnley grew in confidence and changed his tactics in order to neutralize Machac’s game.
That reaped its rewards with Fearnley taking the ball much earlier and a break in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead seemed to be the most pivotal event of this match. There was more confidence on serve as the British qualifier cruised to the second set, levelling the match up at one set all.
All the momentum was with Fearnley and the Brit made the most of it by testing Machac’s serve, breaking in the opening game. The Czech Republican had minimal effect on return and was relying on his aggressive serve in order to build confidence. However, that didn’t carry him all the way through the set as Fearnley broke again in the seventh game before closing out the win.
Jacob Fearnley [Q] v Grigor Dimitrov [15] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jacob Fearnley [Q] v Grigor Dimitrov [15] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Madrid 2025 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €52,925 |
| First on Manolo Santana Stadium (10:00 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Fearnley will now hope he can continue his good form when he takes on Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the last 16.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Last 52 Weeks)
| H2H: | Jacob Fearnley (WR 68) | Grigor Dimitrov (WR 16) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | Quarter-Final (2015) |
| 1st Serve % | 59.9 | 59.2 |
| Service Games Won % | 80.7 | 83.8 |
| Break Points Saved % | 60.2 | 65.5 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53 | 50.7 |
| Break Points Converted % | 38.8 | 37.9 |
Fearnley will need to be aggressive on the big points as Dimitrov has proven that he can be clinical on break points on a regular basis this season.
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Playing styles and prediction
Dimitrov has been in impressive form recently especially at Masters 1000 level having reached the semi-finals in Miami and the quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo. The Bulgarian’s consistency has been note-worthy over the last couple of years but now will be hoping that he can reward his quality with a big title.
Fearnley will continue to be attacking on serve as he will use the forehand to pin Dimitrov behind the baseline, finishing off points at the net. Meanwhile Dimitrov will use the backhand to attack the second serve of Fearnley, as well as implementing angles to force errors from the Brit. This should be a good test for Fearnley but Dimitrov should have enough consistent quality to prevail in a tight contest.
Prediction: Dimitrov in three sets.
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