ATP Mallorca: Dominic Thiem - "Lawn is always fun"
Dominic Thiem will play his first grass match in two years at the ATP 250 event on Mallorca. The anticipation for the fifth in the world rankings is correspondingly great.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jun 20, 2021, 08:53 am
The past weeks and months have not gone as desired for Dominic Thiem : After solid performances in Madrid, the Austrian failed early in Rome and Lyon, the negative climax followed at the end of the clay court season in the form of a first round defeat at the French Open in Paris.
Ironically, on grass - the surface on which Thiem usually struggles the most - the turnaround should now succeed. "If the mixed clay court season has something good, it is that I get at least a little more matches on grass than in the last two years," the 27-year-old told the Kronen Zeitung before the kick-off on Mallorca.
Thiem opens against Struff or Mannarino
According to Thiem, the conditions on the Balearic Island could hardly be better: "I've already trained for two days in Kremsmünster, but the pitches here are in top condition. Grass is always fun." The opening game could be less fun, however, as the reigning US Open winner will meet Jan-Lennard Struff, who is in top form, or lawn specialist Adrian Mannarino.
However, the Austrian was not too impressed by the strength of the field: "It's like that at every tournament anyway. The density is so high at the moment. It was really strong even before Medvedev accepted the wildcard - and now it is Number two in the world has become much stronger. It will be very difficult from the first match. "