ATP Masters Rome: Thiem aims for first win - "I'm with D like Dominic"
At the fifth tournament after his injury break,Dominic Thiem should get his first win. However, the opening task in Rome is tough.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
May 06, 2022, 11:07 pm
Dominic Thiem was only granted one set win in his four tournament appearances in Marbella, Belgrade, Estoril and Madrid. No question: The Austrian is still miles away from his top form. That doesn't come as a surprise to the 28-year-old. "If you can't do your job for ten months, everyone is rusty," Thiem was quoted as saying by the "APA".
"I'm with D like Dominic, I would say. It's not just the forehand, it's also about how I make the points, how I move, how I anticipate, how I assess the tight situations. But that It's clear anyway", Thiem assessed his current situation. Nevertheless, if possible, it should work at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome with the first win since the injury break.
Fognini in Madrid with first round defeat
With Fabio Fognini, however, an unpleasant task awaits in the Foro Italico. The 34-year-old has been anything but in top form lately, but the Italian will probably not allow himself a similarly listless appearance in front of his home crowd as he did in his first round defeat in Madrid against Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Four years ago, Thiem experienced what Fognini is capable of in Italy. In 2018 the Lichtenwörther - at that time still with the self-confidence of a Madrid final behind him - lost in round two 4: 6, 6: 1 and 3: 6. The other three encounters went to the Lower Austrian.
Thiem: "The head thing is actually over now"
However, the conditions will be completely different this time than in the four previous duels. Because Thiem will find himself outside the top 100 in the world rankings for the first time since 2014 on Monday. But he doesn't see any reason for panic yet: "The head thing is actually over now, and the fear that something could be in the wrist is completely gone. But I sometimes play good points and the last shot starves in the net or is three meters out . It sure is extremely frustrating."
Basically, in view of the numerous successes in the past, it is difficult to deal with the current situation: "Of course it is difficult, because with every shot that fails, it immediately comes to my mind how I would have had the shot before the injury or in my played in the best of times. There's still such a big difference that it's extremely difficult to accept."
rommap