ATP Masters Rome: Dominic Thiem before the match against Fucsovics - ask Andrey Rublev
Dominic Thiem opens his attack on the title at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome against Marton Fucsovics . He could get tips from buddy Andrey Rublev.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: May 11, 2021, 10:48 am
It's not as if Marton Fuscovics were a complete stranger to Dominic Thiem: On the ATP Tour, the two played against each other in Hamburg in 2019, this one as well as a match in the qualification for Barcelona and a meeting on the Future Tour Thiem decided for himself. Hardly any player knows the current form of the Hungarian number one better than Andrey Rublev.
Since the French Open in autumn 2020, the Rublev and Fucsovics have played four games against each other, Fucsovics canceled a fifth in Doha without further ado. But in 2021 alone, the 29-year-old from Budapest was left behind against Rublev in Rotterdam, Dubai and Miami. And given his fourfold conqueror on the way, that he doesn't want to see him again anytime soon. Rublev, in turn, is one of Dominic Thiem's preferred training partners.
Thiem loses against Verdasco in Rome
Rome has been a rather difficult affair for the Austrian number one so far. Especially in 2019, Thiem is not fondly remembered. Arrived with a semi-final in Madrid, the co-favorite, like the rest of the field, was initially condemned to sit out for days by the rain. Then in round one to the feared opponent Fernando Verdasco to lose very close in the third set.
In the current phase, Thiem's form is difficult to assess, at least he was happy to take the four matches in the Caja Magica with him. Even if he didn't get many chances when he was eliminated from Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
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The further course of the tournament, provided a win against Fucsovics on Wednesday (live on Sky and in our live ticker), could get an Italian touch for Thiem. Then namely when Lorenzo Sonego should defeat Gael Monfils on lap one. Thiem would then meet either Sonego or Gianluca Mager, with whom he still has an account open since Rio 2020.
Rublev versus Struff
Andrey Rublev is not far either. Against him, the tableau for Thiem would provide a quarter-final meeting. Which a priori would be a difficult constellation. Because Rublev has won the last two games against Thiem, the most recent one dates from the ATP Finals in London (where Thiem was no longer about anything).
However, Rublev has had to pay tribute to his high game workload in recent weeks and had nothing to do with the decisions in Barcelona (defeat against Jannik Sinner) and Madrid (out against John Isner) after reaching the finals in Monte Carlo. First of all, the two buddies Thiem and Rublev have to work their way into the tournament. Thiem got it almost a little easier with Fucsovics than Andrey Rublev: He has to face Jan-Lennard Struff.
Here the single tableau in Rome
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