<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jan/Grigor-Dimtrov-&amp;-Maria.jpg" alt="Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova" />Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova
Melbourne: Maria Sharapova&rsquo;s ex-boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov admitted his relationships may have delayed his emergence as a top player as he extended his hot streak at the Australian Open yesterday.
The Bulgarian heartthrob has long been touted as one of tennis&rsquo;s next big things, but he reached only his third major quarter-final with his win over giant-killer Denis Istomin. Dimitrov (25) beat the injury-hit Uzbek 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-1 to reach the last eight.
Afterwards, the man known as &ldquo;Baby Fed&rdquo; for his Roger Federer-style play was asked whether romantic entanglements may have sometimes been a distraction from tennis.&nbsp;&ldquo;I obviously have a soft spot for that,&rdquo; joked the World No. 15.
&ldquo;On a serious note, I always try to keep whatever else outside the court. I think when I was younger, I was struggling to kind of differentiating love from a personal love or a tennis love or whatever else. There was time that I wasn&rsquo;t sure how to deal with both things in the same time. But you learn. I guess we grow. I mean, I don&rsquo;t want to say I&rsquo;ve learned from my mistakes, but I&rsquo;ve learned myself a little bit better. I think that helps me. Hopefully it&rsquo;s going to help me for the future through any kind of falling-in-love stuff.&rdquo;

Bulgarian tennis heartthrob Grigor Dimitrov jokingly says his relationship with Russian beauty Maria Sharapova delayed his rise in the sport

Grigor Dimitrov says Maria Sharapova relationship delayed his success

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Maria Sharapova&rsquo;s ex-boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov admitted his relationships may have delayed his emergence as a top player as he extended his hot streak at the Australian Open yesterday

Grigor Dimitrov says Maria Sharapova relationship delayed his success

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Home / Sports / Other Sports / Article / Grigor Dimitrov says Maria Sharapova relationship delayed his success

Grigor Dimitrov says Maria Sharapova relationship delayed his success

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