ATP Masters Rome: Jürgen Melzer is waiting for partner Dominic Thiem
Jürgen Melzer and Dominic Thiem compete in doubles at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. The draw was not bad for the two Austrians at the start.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: May 13, 2019, 02:48 pm
By Jens Huiber from Rome
Jürgen Melzer arrived in Rome in a good mood on Sunday afternoon. And why not? Melzer won the title at the ATP Challenger tournament in Aix en Provence on Saturday, the third victory after the successes at the ATP Tour 250 tournaments in Sofia and Marrakech 2019. The Austrian tennis legend is also doubling in Rome Melzer still has to wait for his playmates: Dominic Thiem was still involved in the double final in Madrid - which he lost with Diego Schwartzman against Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau. However, Melzer was not able to conduct a partner analysis: at the time of the endgame, the veteran was sitting on the plane towards Rome.
The draw was not bad for the two Austrians, at least at the start: Melzer and Thiem meet the Italian pairing Filippo Baldi and Andrea Pellegrino. After that, however, the top seeded Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo could wait, a team against which Melzer and Thiem have already lost in Monte Carlo. Nevertheless, the red-white-red Davis Cup players complement each other splendidly.
Dominic Thiem gains confidence in Paris
"Of course I have more experience than Dominic when it comes to double playing," said Jürgen Melzer in an interview with tennisnet. “You have to take Dominic where he gets the best out of me, where he puts me on the net. I don't have to tell him how to do a forehand cross - because he can do it better than me. If he pulls from behind, then the opponents must first hold against it in the front. ”On the other hand, Thiem helps him to play his service games more confidently.
"Dominic has had great weeks in individual, the direction Roland Garros is right," explained Melzer, who himself had reached the final round of the largest clay court tournament in the tennis world in 2011. Thiem is now getting the confidence that is necessary to take the next big step at the French Open.
First, however, the task in Rome is waiting for Jürgen Melzer and Dominic Thiem, who is placed fifth in the individual. The two Lower Austrians still got the organizers free on Monday - as it should be for players who played exceptionally well in the past week. After that, however, the paths will separate again: Jürgen Melzer has found a new partner until the tournament in Cincinnati: Nicolas Mahut, whose playmate Pierre-Hugues Herbert would like to push his individual career for a few weeks.