Andrey Rublev before duel with Dominic Thiem: "Have a great connection"
Dominic Thiem faces Russia's Andrey Rublev in the semifinals of Gijon's ATP 250 event. A player with whom the Austrian maintains a close connection. Rublev also underlined this in the run-up to the duel.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Oct 14, 2022, 06:38 pm
Suddenly, in 2020, it was extremely present: the friendship, but also the rivalry between Andrey Rublev and Dominic Thiem. While the Austrian was able to win the first two duels with the Russian, Rublev managed to equalize head-to-head almost exactly two years ago. With an extremely bitter defeat for Thiem, who had to admit defeat in two sets at his home event in the Wiener Stadthalle. A few weeks later, Rublev scored 3-2 in a direct duel in a meaningless last group game at the ATP finals.
Already in these October days 2020 there was a lot of talk about the frequent joint training sessions and the good understanding that Thiem and Rublev maintain. The Russian's game is wonderful for him to get rhythm and makes the tournament preparation a little more pleasant every time the 24-year-old makes himself available as a training partner, said Thiem, then number three in the world.
Thiem in good shape in Gijon
Today, in Gijon, the signs are completely different than they were in 2020: Rublev has firmly established itself in the top 10, but clearly missed a leap to the top in the past 24 months. And recently, larger fluctuations in performance have been revealed again and again. Thiem, on the other hand, is currently going through what is by far the most difficult phase of his career step by step - and is slowly but surely finding the right feeling on the court again.
So it can be assumed that the second duel with a man from the top 10 since the Austrian's month-long injury break could not be a very clear affair. Especially since Thiem showed extremely appealing performances against Joao Sousa and Francisco Cerundolo. And afterwards emphasized that he felt very comfortable in Gijon.
Rublev and Thiem are friends
In general, there is something very special in this match-up on Saturday, which was also shown by Andrey Rublev's words on Friday afternoon after his two-set win over Tommy Paul: "He knows me very well, I know him very well. We have a great connection, we're very good friends. We train together a lot, we've competed against each other several times in the past," Rublev said. "Also, he showed a great level this week and is playing better. I hope it will be a great game for people to enjoy."
It can be assumed. Both Thiem and Rublev are sometimes extremely consistent from the baseline in Gijon, and the Russian's recently vulnerable backhand could be an advantage for the Austrian. Thiem, on the other hand, will need what is probably the best match performance against the Russian since his return to the ATP tour if he really wants to put the favorite under pressure. But: Thiem already emphasized in 2020 that the Russian's game is good for the Austrian to find his rhythm.