ATP Challenger Rennes: Dominic Thiem has to fight number one
Dominic Thiem plays Hugo Gaston, who is in first place, in the semifinals of the ATP Challenger tournament in Rennes. The match will not be streamed live on the ATP Challenger page and in our live ticker before 4:30 p.m.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Sep 17, 2022, 11:02 am
For 33 points in the ATP world rankings, Dominic Thiem would not have gotten up until his wrist injury, but it doesn't help: Thiem is known to be doing Andre Agassi these days, who after a low also returns to the shallows of the ATP Challenger Tour played up. Rennes is Thiem's third stop at Challenger level, after Marbella and Salzburg.
There have been three wins so far, now the Austrian is in the semifinals. And that's worth a whopping 33 points. Dominic Thiem has brought Gilles Simon, Ryan Peniston and Adrian Andreev behind him, it wasn't always brilliant, but it was definitely useful. The greatest danger that Thiem could be eliminated in Rennes was probably at the start against Simon. The Frenchman, who was aiming for retirement, had less to do with it, it was Thiem's soaked shoes that caused problems.
Thiem leads 2-0 against Gaston
Speaking of the French: Today Dominic Thiem is allowed to play against Hugo Gaston, number one in Rennes, in the semi-finals. And the only participant currently ranked among the top 100 players in the world. Gaston put Thiem's game plan back in order on Friday, saving Thiem a real late night session against Andreev. Because Benoit Paire was in a giving mood again, Gaston was happy to accept. And won in no time at all with 6:3 and 6:1.
Thiem has won the two previous encounters with Gaston, and there was no lack of entertainment value. In 2020 in Roland Garros, the Frenchman held a tutorial on breakballs, Thiem passed the exam in five sentences. The meeting in Gstaad this summer is even fresher in our memories. Thiem fended off two match balls and won the tie-break of the third set.
If so much work is needed to clear Gaston's hurdle again, the reward will be rather modest: Only 55 ATP points are awarded for participation in the final in Rennes. Dominic Thiem would not have lifted them out of his shoes before his injury either.