Dimitrov returns to beat Perricard at Paris Masters

Grigor Dimitrov returned to competition on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters, defeating Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(5), 6-1 to reach the tournament's second round at Paris La Défense Arena. The victory was the Bulgarian's first match since withdrawing injured from Wimbledon in July while leading eventual champion Jannik Sinner two sets to love.

Dimitrov had been sidelined for more than three months after tearing a pectoral muscle in the Wimbledon round of 16. He said the extended time off required patience and careful management. "Thank you so much for your support," Dimitrov told the crowd after the match. "The number one thing I had to do was to be extremely patient with myself and give myself a little bit of a break." He added that returning to a competitive level brings added nerves and that his priority is to rebuild match fitness and consistency.

The opening set in Paris lasted more than an hour and featured long rallies and powerful serving from Perricard, who produced seven aces and won 78 percent of points behind his first serve. Dimitrov prevailed in the tiebreak after a tense exchange and then broke serve three times in the second set to close out the...