ATP: Dominic Thiem again as a favorite to Buenos Aires in 2019
Dominic Thiem will be number one in the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Buenos Aires in just under two weeks. The competition is decent - but not insurmountable.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jan 30, 2019, 06:37 am
It is not yet clear whether Dominic Thiem will attend the Austrian Davis Cup team this weekend. Nobody should be surprised about it, Austria's number one is considered a great team player, especially when buddy Dennis Novak has to jump into the breach as number one.
Thiem will actively intervene in the tennis scene as planned, but only again in Buenos Aires. There, the 25-year-old Lichtenwörther won the title last year, did not make a sentence on the way there, not even in the final against Aljaz Bedene. And according to the entry list just published, Dominic Thiem has to be a favorite again this year.
Fognini and Schwartzman as potentially the most difficult opponents
After all, last year's French Open finalist is the only top ten player on the tableau. Fabio Fognini will be number two, followed by local hero Diego Schwartzman and Marco Cecchinato. This is followed by the resurgent Pablo Carreno Busta and Nicolas Jarry from Chile, whose current form Thiem in Salzburg could take a closer look at. Last summer, the Lower Austrian Jarry lost twice in the tiebreak despite many chances.
The two Davis Cup days in Salzburg had actually been chosen as a tougher preparation for the South American clay court tour, the illness that forced Thiem to give up at the Australian Open undermined these plans.