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Dimitrov immediately sets sights on Wimbledon 'dream'

Nick Atkin at Queen's Club
June 15, 2014
Grigor Dimitrov edged Feliciano Lopez in Sunday's Queen's final © Getty Images
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Grigor Dimitrov wasted no time in turning his attentions to fulfilling his childhood dream of winning Wimbledon after claiming his third title of 2014 at Queen's.

Dimitrov edged Feliciano Lopez in a thrilling final on Sunday, winning 6-7(8) 7-6(1) 7-6(6) in a contest that lasted more than two and a half hours.

The victory ensured he is the first player this season to win titles on all three different surfaces, following his tournament victories on the hard courts at Acapulco and clay of Bucharest.

It was a fourth career title for the Bulgarian, whose star continues to rise, though he is yet to truly leave his mark on one of the four major tournaments.

Dimitrov took Rafael Nadal to four sets in the Australian Open quarter-finals but suffered a "painful" first-round exit at the French Open - which he admitted he used to spur himself on at Queen's this week.

Asked if he feels he is approaching the point where he is a genuine grand slam contender, Dimitrov said: "We're about to find that out in a week.

"It's always special to win that week. I mean, to me always this tournament in particular has been that tournament I always wanted to win. I remember myself playing as a teenager here, and ever since I have dreamt about that moment.

"You know, you can feel it in the spirit of the trophy itself. When you lift it, it means something.

"The only thing I can say is I'm going to be with a lot of positive vibes coming out to Wimbledon.

"Of course, Wimbledon has been close to me and what I have always wanted to achieve, and it's definitely on my list to do or to win, and I'm going to have the chance in a week to go out there and perform the best way I can."

Lopez can consider himself unlucky to lose on Sunday, with all three sets decided by tie-breakers, however having been given a first-hand account of Dimitrov's talents, he is backing the Bulgarian to break his grand slam duck.

"I think he can be a grand slam champion in the future," said Lopez.

"He's very young. He's already there. He's very close to the top 10, and talking about young guys in the tour, he's, for me, he's the one who has the better conditions.

"He's the more complete player of all of the youngest, and he's doing well. He's in a good way. Sooner or later it will come.

"But right now it's tough. We have for ten years with these animals in the top. It's very tough to win the grand slams because Roger [Federer], Rafa, Nole [Novak Djokovic], they win everything.

"For Grigor, still at 23, he's maybe a little bit early with these guys, but as he showed in Australia he almost beat Rafa this year in the quarter-finals, so he's getting close."

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