Conor Gannon will be hoping lightning can strike twice at Elm Park today as the Irish No. 3 faces another elite assignment on day four of the Dublin Challenger.

The Dubliner came through the biggest win of his career on Tuesday, battling for three hours to overcome former world top-20 player Bernard Tomic.

After dropping the opening set, Gannon dug deep to turn the match around, eventually coming through 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in front of a crowd that grew in belief with every hold, every passing shot, and every sign that the upset might just be on.

His reward is a round of 16 meeting with the biggest name in the draw, Grigor Dimitrov.

The Bulgarian, a former world No. 3 and winner of the 2017 ATP Finals, made light work of his opening assignment on Tuesday, beating world No. 179 Chris Rodesch 6-3, 6-4 in just over an hour.

It remains unusual to see a player of Dimitrov’s standing competing at Challenger level, but circumstance, injury and the particular demands of grass court tennis have brought a little extra sparkle to Donnybrook this week.

The 35-year-old is in Dublin looking to rebuild both ranking and rhythm after a pectoral injury derailed his 2025 campaign.

Twelve months ago, he was two sets up against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon when the injury struck and forced him to retire. He managed only one more appearance that season, at the Paris Masters, before withdrawing again, this time with a shoulder problem.

This year has been another difficult one. Dimitrov arrived in Dublin ranked No. 169 in the world and with a 3-8 record for the season. Tuesday’s win broke a run of six first-round exits, though his mood will surely have been lifted by the confirmation of a wildcard for Wimbledon later this month.

Gannon, meanwhile, comes into the match on the back of a busy run of tournament play.

The 24-year-old has already had 13 outings on the ITF Tour this year, alongside his Davis Cup commitments. Often used in doubles for Ireland, he also delivered three singles wins during the recent Group III ties against Montenegro, Azerbaijan and Kosovo, performances that will have added to his confidence.

He looked at home on the grass against Tomic, using his slice well, showing sharp instincts around the net and refusing to be rushed even when the match moved into its most pressurised moments.

The challenge now rises another level.

Dimitrov has long been one of the game’s most elegant grass-court players. He won at Queen’s in 2014 and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals the same year. More recently, he has put together three consecutive runs to the fourth round at the All England Club.

With nine career titles, wins over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and almost $32 million in career prize money, this is very much a case of Grigor the Goliath against an Irish David.

But Elm Park has already shown this week that reputations alone do not win tennis matches.

Ammar Elamin caused a stir in qualifying, Gannon produced the moment of the tournament so far against Tomic, and on grass, with a home crowd leaning into every point, there is always a chance when the ball is in play.

Dimitrov’s highest level is far beyond the usual scale of a Challenger event. That much is clear. But recent months have been difficult, and Gannon will step onto court with rhythm, belief, and the backing of an Irish crowd ready to believe in one more upset.

For Dimitrov, Dublin may be part of the road back to the top.

For Gannon, it is an opportunity to delay that return by at least one more week.
 

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Image Credit: Tennis Ireland

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