Australian Open: Dominic Thiem - The party is followed by great disenchantment
Dominic Thiem was eliminated in three sets against Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16 at the Australian Open - even though the Austrian had made one of the biggest comeback of his career two days earlier.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Feb 14, 2021, 07:51 pm
On Friday, Dominic Thiem played the party crash against local hero Nick Kyrgios, but two days later the Austrian was disappointed : In the clear three-set defeat against Grigor Dimitrov, the Lichtenwörther presented himself unusually lacking in energy and power. Sometimes there was even fear that the 27-year-old would not be able to finish the match.
It didn't get that far, at the latest from the first loss of service in the third set it was clear that, unlike in the match against Kyrgios, there would be no comeback. It was "just a pitch-black day," Thiem said after the game: "It's a huge disappointment."
Thiem is not looking for excuses
As the world number three explained in an interview with ServusTV , he also felt slight pain in his right foot: "It was a bit like the US Open semifinals against Medvedev." In New York, however, he had the right amount of tension to ignore the problems: "So that shouldn't be used as an excuse."
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Thiem also made another parallel to the major in the States. "If I train too long - every day, too monotonously - I start to play worse at some point. That was definitely the case in Australia. There was also a great risk that it would happen at the US Open. But somehow I got it there bent over. "
Thiem wants to come back in Doha
Unlike in New York, Melbourne was initially played with spectators. Against Kyrgios, more than 7,000 people celebrated a tennis party like the one the world had not seen for a long time. Two days later, the hangover set in for Thiem - the Austrian snuck out of the Rod Laver Arena completely alone after two hours of play.
In view of the corona pandemic, it is still unclear where the 27-year-old will be celebrating next. Starts at the tournaments in Doha, Dubai and Miami are planned for March. But: "At the moment, what happens anyway." In view of the development of the Lower Austrian, it seems clear that one can expect him again at the parties of this tennis world soon - from an Austrian point of view, hopefully without the great disillusionment.
Here is the men's single tableau
laver arena