Follow usDimitrov’s wealth of experience and strategic play prevailed over Rune’s youthful athleticism in the men’s final to win 2:0 in a captivating match filled with high-quality tennis that held the crowd’s attention for over two hours.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian, secured a closely contested first set in the tiebreak. However, the world number eight, Rune, displayed resilience, consistently delivering aces to extricate himself from challenging situations. In the second set, he thwarted a break in a grueling 17-minute game and saved three championship points to hold for 4-5.
Despite Rune’s determined efforts, Dimitrov closed out the match with finesse, serving out to love. This victory marked the ninth title of Dimitrov’s career and his first since claiming the ATP Tour Finals in London in November 2017, accentuated by a beautifully executed backhand at the net.
Expressing his emotions, Dimitrov said, “It’s been a while since I held one of these,” referring to the trophy, and it marked his second win after the 2017 triumph in Brisbane. “I’m fairly tired, and I’ll take a few days off, but I’m really happy to be in Australia. I’ll keep on going, and yeah, onto the next one.”
The first Grand Slam of the year kicks off next Sunday, running until January 28.
Sinner cruises past Dimitrov for his first semi-final in Paris 
Zverev beats Rune in the morning after 5-set thriller at French Open 
Sinner eliminates Rune to reach 1/2 finals in Monte Carlo 
