links of london report,Handling the hype is
part of the job for any talented young tennis player but being labelled 'the new Roger Federer'
and touted as the next big thing in the men's game means Grigor Dimitrov has more to deal with
than most.
Why all the attention? Well, in a sport desperate for new blood to challenge the established
order - the same four players began and ended the year at the top of the ATP rankings, and only
three men other than Federer or Rafael Nadal have won a single Grand Slam since the start of 2005
- the 19-year-old Bulgarian is widely seen as potentially the next big star of a new generation
of tennis talent.
links londonDimitrov's burgeoning reputation is down to his rapid rise from outside the top 350 to the
fringes of the top 100 in the world over the last six months, and the clutch of Futures and
Challenger events he won on the way to becoming the world's top-ranked male teenager at the end
of 2010.
And the resemblance to Federer, who incidentally has been his idol since childhood, is easy to
see too. On court, they share the same sweeping single-handed backhand, exciting attacking game
and even a trademark bandana.
links of london charmsOff it, their professional careers were both launched by the same coach, Peter Lundgren, who says
Dimitrov is the more talented. No pressure there then.