SOFIA: Bulgaria, a nation with a proud female tennis tradition, hailed Grigor Dimitrov’s maiden ATP tour title and praised the player for becoming an inspiration for young talent in the Balkan country.
The three Maleeva sisters - Manuela, Katerina and Magdalena, who took turns to feature in the world’s top six in the 1980s and 1990s - made the women’s game successful in Bulgaria.
Dimitrov became the first Bulgarian male player to win a tour title after fighting back to upset Spanish top seed David Ferrer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Stockholm Open on Sunday.
Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski was among those to congratulate the 22-year-old Dimitrov.
“Grigor’s success in an incredible achievement for our sport,” wrote Standart newspaper. Dimitrov became hugely popular in Bulgaria after winning junior titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2008. His girlfriend, Russian world number three Maria Sharapova, wrote on her Twitter account: “Wow! What a special moment.” REUTERS
