Dominic Stephan Stricker vs Grigor Dimitrov Prediction: Swiss Rising Star Faces Bulgarian Veteran in a Clash of Styles

ATP 250 Stockholm quarterfinal match pits the young shooting star of Switzerland, Dominic Stephan Stricker, against one of the seasoned veterans of tennis from Bulgaria, Grigor Dimitrov. The young Swiss talent is flashing his brilliance in the world rankings position of 317; notable among these was a straight-set defeat of Matteo Berrettini. Meanwhile, Dimitrov is currently world no. 10, carrying an 8-2 streak in his last 10 matches, and experience and consistency will make him formidable.

With a lot of grit and determination, Stricker made his way to this quarterfinal, while Dimitrov, the former ATP Finals champion, has kept making noise about his position in the echelon. Both players will go all out for a semifinal berth in a contest pitting powerful, young Swiss against the finesse and versatility of Dimitrov.

This would be Dominic Stephan Stricker's third match in a row following a tantalizing performance against Matteo Berrettini, which he won 6-7, 4-6. His statistics from that match underlined strong serving-5 aces plus the conversion of critical break points, 1 break. He has also been good in returning, especially on second serve-58% of points won on Berrettini's second serve. Saving 100% of break-points in his last match does indeed suggest that he is a player with considerable mental strength when pushed.

The strong serve and aggressive baseline game are his two big weapons. He has to make sure that he does not provide easy chances for Dimitrov on serve return with a precise serve. It all goes down to whether he can maintain his first serve percentage above 60% regularly, which he achieved against Berrettini. Firstly, Stricker will also have to increase his first-serve return points won to at least 20% in order to stress the Dimitrov serve, which tends to collapse under pressure sometimes.

Key in his game plan will be the focus on Dimitrov's second serve, which may prove to be a chink in his armor-the Bulgarian won a mere 41% of his second-serve points in the last match. Stricker needs to look to make the most of these rallies by taking time away from Dimitrov early with early strikes off the return.

Current No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov lost to Quentin Halys in his last outing by the result of 6-7, 3-6. Dimitrov served well: he hit 8 aces and made 82% of points won on first serves. On the other hand, the Bulgarian's possible vulnerability may be the second serve points won, as there he was 41%. These are the weapons Stricker will try to use to make things difficult for the favourite. Dimitrov has got big-match experience and tactical variation on the hard courts.

Dimitrov will look at his all-court game and variety as ways to throw Stricker's rhythm off. His slice backhand and changes of pace keep the young Swiss out of balance. Dimitrov's experience in dealing with long rallies, and the ability to defend from precarious positions, might frustrate Stricker into going for risky shots.

In such regard, Dimitrov will need to put more emphasis on his second serve, since poor serves have given Stricker easy returns. Besides that, he also needs to continue his good work in holding an 82% first-serve point won the percentage to avoid long rallies where the power of Stricker may dominate the course of action.

With Stricker coming into this match with momentum, the experience of Dimitrov and current form-8-2 in his last 10-makes him a slight favorite. It seems like the match is going to come down to who will be able to get ahead in the service games and convert break points; both are serving quite well but showing some vulnerability on second serve.

With his superior ranking and experience, the tip should go to Dimitrov in this contest. Maybe the fact that he can vary his play and has experience in managing high-pressure moments will give him an edge over the youngster Stricker.

This has the makings of one that could extend beyond two routine sets, given the form of both players lately and their tendency to play close sets. Dimitrov did go to a tiebreak in his last match, and with the capability of Stricker on serve, this might be one that goes to the wire.

It is Dimitrov's experience that should give him the edge early on, with Stricker getting accustomed to playing against a top-10 player. Strong serving and an ability to win crucial points early on should allow Dimitrov to claim the first set.

• Grigor Dimitrov Win + Over 18.5 Games @ 1.80 Odds
• Over 22.5 Games @ 1.96 Odds
• Grigor Dimitrov Win 2-0 @ 1.66 Odds