Grigor Dimitrov is a happy birthday boy

Grigor Dimitrov would seem to have it all by the standards of modern celebrity: movie star looks, the richest and most glamorous girlfriend in tennis, a single-handed backhand that gets better by the day. And, now, a strawberry cake shoved in his face on Campo Centrale in front of thousands of his adoring fans.

The stunt, conjured up and carried out by his eccentric Australian coach Roger Rasheed to celebrate the Bulgarian's 23rd birthday yesterday, came moments after a quick retirement win over the injured Tommy Haas that put him into his first Masters 1000 semi-final and shortened his odds for the French Open, which starts on Sunday week.

If he were to win the final here tomorrow, Dimitrov, the youngest player in the ATP world top 20, could move up four places into the top 10.

Very tasty
That would be some statement going to Paris.

“Very tasty,” is how Dimitrov described his slapstick moment. “I just cleaned up. You have to be presentable. It definitely was one of the most memorable days of my life. It was a bit unfortunate the way it ended up [not the cake-throwing; Haas quitting with a shoulder injury after 36 minutes and losing the only set 2-6]. But I’m just a happy birthday boy.

“At the same time, I don’t want to stop my progress here. I’ve come to the tournament healthy and confident.”

Across the draw from Dimitrov is another gilded youth, Milos Raonic, also 23. The Canadian was the first player to progress from the quarters, beating Jérémy Chardy in just over two hours on the unreliable clay of the Grandstand arena, to book a semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

Raonic was in danger of squandering a first-set advantage (as Roger Federer did against Chardy the day before), but he was too strong for the Frenchman in a solid closure and won a ragged match 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.

Djokovic beat David Ferrer 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in a gruelling quarter-final and, although he wobbled in all three sets, double-faulting on his first match point, he broke down the Spaniard's legendary resistance and looked to have recovered from the wrist injury that impeded him in the semi-finals in Monte Carlo against Federer.

Physical fitness is a component in assessing where the rest of this season, and indeed the game, will go.

None of the players who have ruled tennis for several years has totally avoided ill health, injury or inconsistency lately, while younger rivals are growing more assertive.

"All the so-to-speak young guys," Dimitrov said, "we are all fighting to come on court in big matches and challenge in tournaments . . . everyone is pushing his own way. Everyone wants to get to the top. It's a battle. I feel physically pretty good. It's a good preparation for the French Open."
Guardian Service