Once hailed the next Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov in danger of wasting immense talent

In the aftermath of his epic meltdown in the Istanbul Open final, Grigor Dimitrov is in danger of letting an incredible talent go to waste, writes Ahmed Rizvi.

Grigor Dimitrov previously broke into the world's top 10 but is now back at No 28 in the rankings. Dave Hunt / EPA

Around this time three years ago, Grigor Dimitrov was the talk of the tennis world following his stunning win over world No1 Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Madrid Masters.

It was the Bulgarian’s first win over a top five player, and fans in his home country were jubilant. One Bulgarian newspaper claimed the country had found a “new hero after [former football superstar] Hristo Stoichkov”.

It was, however, a false dawn. Dimitrov flickered briefly, winning three titles on three different surfaces in the first half of 2014 and defeated Andy Murray on his way to the Wimbledon semi-final to climb to a career-high No 8 in the rankings. But he has done little of note since.

Video: Watch Grigor Dimitrov's epic meltdown in the Istanbul Open final

Dimitrov, 24, was No 28 in the rankings when he shocked Djokovic in Madrid and he is back at No 28, toiling alongside the tour’s middle class when he was expected to be one of its top stars following his 2008 Wimbledon and US Open triumph as a junior.

He was hailed as “Baby Federer” at the time and tennis fans are still waiting for him to deliver on his potential, but optimism is on the wane, especially after his meltdown in Istanbul on Sunday.

Dimitrov was up a set and 5-2 against world No 87 Diego Schwartzman, but suffered a meltdown and lost 11 of the next 12 games. Frustrated, he went on a racket-smashing spree in the final set and was docked, first a point mid-set, and then a game at 5-0 when he destroyed his equipment, telling the chair umpire beforehand he would do so.

Dimitrov later apologised for his behaviour, but fans must surely be shocked and questions are going to be asked about his mental state.

There has been speculation in the media about his private life in recent days, specifically the status of his relationship with singer Nicole Scherzinger, and that could be affecting his tennis.

It is time, then, for Dimitrov to take stock. He has wasted his gifts for too long and needs to turn it around. The good thing is, as his racket-smashing in Istanbul suggests, he expects a lot more from himself. There is still hope then.

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