Grigor Dimitrov says he's living the dream after marking his ATP Finals debut with a thrilling three-set win over Dominic Thiem.
The first Bulgarian to qualify for the season-ending championship, Dimitrov upset the Austrian fourth seed 6-3 5-7 7-5 in the opening match of the Pete Sampras Group.
Dimitrov overcame the disappointment of failing to serve out the rollercoaster encounter from 5-4 up in the deciding set before breaking Thiem for a third time to prevail after almost two and a half hours.
"You fail and then you get back up and go again," Dimitrov said.
Long touted as a future superstar, the 26-year-old is trying to lose his unwanted title as "Baby Fed" for his uncannily similar playing style to Roger Federer.
But Dimitrov readily concedes it's taken time to flourish after needing almost a decade to qualify for the elite eight-man tour finale.
"Everybody has a different path, different way," the 2017 Australian Open semi-finalist said.
"It's just simple as that. What can I say?
"I mean, I think there's a lot of components that are kind of coming together at some point. You kind of make a decision. My decision's been made since long time.
"It was just against like fighting with my demons to find the right path to be consistent enough. Other than that, I wouldn't put anything away.
"I think the best is yet to come. I'm super excited for what's ahead. This is where I always wanted to be at; among the top players."
For now, though, Dimitrov is intent on celebrating his historic win.
"I've never been out here. Now I can say that that barrier is broken," he said.
"It for me was just one of those new experiences that I think I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.
"It's not only big for me, I think it's for my whole country, for Bulgaria.
"It's great for me to show that everything is possible."
His breakthrough win coupled with Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the tournament with a knee injury leaves Dimitrov poised to reach the semi-finals.
He next plays Nadal's first match conqueror, Belgian David Goffin, on Wednesday before completing the pool stage against Spanish tournament reserve Pablo Carrena Busta on Friday.
