Collignon dethrones Dimitrov in Brisbane reverence
Under the Queensland sun, qualifier Raphael Collignon turned childhood awe into a commanding upset over Grigor Dimitrov, holding serve flawlessly in a 7-6(1), 6-3 win that tests the veteran’s fragile return.
On the sun-baked hardcourts of the Brisbane International presented by ANZ, Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon upended his idol Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(1), 6-3 in a Thursday encounter that blended respect with ruthless execution. The 23-year-old qualifier, eyes wide from years of watching the Bulgarian’s elegant strokes, denied the two-time champion any breaks across 49 minutes of tense baseline exchanges. Dimitrov, fresh off a straight-sets win over Pablo Carreno Busta, couldn’t pierce the wall of Collignon’s first serves, which landed with 82 per cent efficiency on 36 of 44 points.
Dimitrov’s path back had started unevenly after a pectoral tear at Wimbledon, pulling him to the court just three matches later at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris. There, he edged Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in late October, only to withdraw before the next round as the injury’s shadow lingered. In Brisbane, the 34-year-old’s one-handed backhand sliced crosscourt with familiar flair, but Collignon’s returns forced neutral rallies, the medium-fast surface amplifying the Belgian’s heavy topspin to keep the veteran pinned.
“It was an honour for me to play against Grigor,” Collignon said. “I was watching him as a kid when at home and now I am playing against him, so it was a great pleasure to play against a great champion in Grigor and I am very happy with the way I played.”
Dimitrov‘s return meets resistance
The Bulgarian’s comeback carried the weight of interrupted momentum, his game still adjusting to the hardcourt bounce after months away. Collignon’s defense absorbed Dimitrov’s inside-out forehands, turning potential winners into prolonged points where the qualifier’s footwork edged ahead. Saving all three break points, he shifted the psychological balance early, the first-set tiebreak at 7-1 a stark release of pent-up focus under the crowd’s growing hum.
Brisbane’s grippy courts favored Collignon’s one–two pattern, a flat first serve followed by a kicking second that neutralized Dimitrov’s chipping returns. The veteran, less fluid in net approaches post-injury, relied on down-the-line passes that clipped lines but rarely forced errors, his second-serve vulnerability exposed in the second set’s decisive break. This clash revealed the tour’s unforgiving tempo, where physical echoes from past majors like Wimbledon demand more than talent alone.
Serve steel fuels rankings surge
Collignon’s delivery emerged as the match’s anchor, its pace and placement denying Dimitrov the depth to disrupt rhythm. He climbed 13 spots to No. 71 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, poised for a career high on Monday after this qualifier’s breakthrough. The win propels him to his second tour-level quarterfinal, where Brandon Nakashima awaits following a 6-2, 6-4 dismissal of Quentin Halys, the American’s flat groundstrokes set to challenge the Belgian’s depth on these same courts.
Nakashima’s efficient returns could probe Collignon’s backhand, but the 23-year-old’s hold rate suggests he’ll dictate from the baseline, extending his run through the Australian swing. This matchup adds tactical layers, with Brisbane’s moderate speed rewarding servers who vary spin and placement amid rising heat. Collignon’s poise here hints at deeper potential, transforming qualifier nerves into sustained pressure.
Upsets echo across the draw
Elsewhere, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard built on his scalp of fourth seed Tommy Paul, grinding out a 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) win over Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata with 53 winners in a serve-dominated affair. The Frenchman’s big game suits this ATP 250 venue, where he reached the semifinals last season, now facing Aleksandar Kovacevic in a clash of power versus grit. Kovacevic advanced by toppling seventh seed Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4, lifting his head-to-head to 2-0 with steady baseline play that frustrated the lefty’s spin.
These results pulse with the event’s underdog energy, qualifiers and mid-rankers exploiting seeds’ early-season adjustments. As quarterfinals loom, the hardcourt prelude to Melbourne sharpens edges, where mental resilience often outpaces raw power in defining the week’s narrative arcs.
