Dominic Thiem back in training: In search of the automatisms
After the best start of the season in his career, Dominic Thiem took a few days of relaxation at home. With a final at the Australian Open in the back, the current number four in the world got back into training last weekend. The hard court gave way to a clay court - but only briefly.
by Lukas Zahrer
last edit: Feb 11, 2020, 05:41 pm
For the first time in three years, Thiem is only playing a tournament on clay between the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami. Although he planned to compete in the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires, the 26-year-old took a short break in Austria instead through his successful run in Melbourne.
"I have come closer to my very big goal. It was a huge disappointment but also a great motivation for the future, ”said Thiem on the return trip from the Australian Open about the first Grand Slam of the year. Only after five sets did he have to bend in the final Novak Djokovic, the Serb won his 17th title in a Grand Slam after 1: 2 set deficit.
"I played in the final as I can get it most days of the year", Thiem draws positive conclusions from the defeat. "At the ATP Finals I played against Djokovic above my level - you have to be honest. That was it not in Australia anymore. ”Last November, Thiem disenchanted the current world number one with ultra-offensive tennis and won in the tie-break of the third set.
Dominic Thiem: Playing short rallies "even more automatically"
Although he is now changing the topping for a tournament week, Thiem does not want to "change much" in training. Fitness trainer Duglas Cordero traveled to Vienna on Sunday to take care of the physical development, Wolfgang Thiem is leading the training on the clay courts in the southern part of the city.
“My level has been very good since autumn last year. I made a good step in all matters - especially on faster surfaces and also in the hall, ”said Thiem. Since the beginning of the collaboration with Nicolas Massu, who accompanies Thiem in South America again, Thiem has developed especially in short rallies, which led to success on hard courts.
"I have improved in serve, return and in the game forward, I will continue to push this to make it even more automatic," he says. “I believe that my basic level, which I can call up every day, has increased. That is a very big goal. The ups and downs are getting fewer and fewer. "
In the 2019 season, Thiem suffered six first-round defeats. In addition to Rio, two more of them happened at major tournaments. "I learned from the two failures at the Grand Slams last year," Thiem is certain. "I now know exactly what I need so that I feel good and play well."
Compared to many of his opponents, Thiem came on the ATP tour at an older age. As a result, the Lower Austrian only started calling his best tennis in his mid-20s. "I can do that better and better now."
Dominic Thiem: Grand Slam? Role model Andy Murray
At the Australian Open, he managed to do so over a long stretch of his seven matches. Apart from a short sag in the second round game against Alex Bolt, he played the final with controlled power tennis. There he also missed his third chance to win a Grand Slam.
"The final of Australia hurts the most by far," said Thiem about his three major finals. But he sees the Grand Slam final defeats as only one: "In 2018 I was simply without a chance, even last year was in Paris I was actually way too far away. It was completely different this time. I would almost say that I am on a 0-1 record because I ignore the first two finals. "
He gained a lot of confidence from the victory over Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of Melbourne, as he defeated the Spaniard for the first time in a best-of-five match. "It is not a mental burden," said Thiem about his negative final record at Majors. "Andy Murray gives me hope. He also won his first Grand Slam tournament in his mid-20s. There was never a guarantee of winning these matches. Maybe I will lose the next two, but the most important thing will be that I give everything and learn a lot. ”