Dominic Thiem on sand: hunting for Nadal, Djokovic and Federer

After an up and down on the hard courts, Dominic Thiem returns to the beloved sand in Monte Carlo. Five classics are on his program.

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Günter Bresnik doesn't like to see his model pupil typed as a clay court specialist: “His game is actually predestined for hard court. From the serve, but also from the greatly improved return and a repertoire that basically allows him to play away practically every opponent. ”

Nevertheless, he admits that the Thiem stats on powdered brick are unmistakably powerful: “Whoever reaches the semi-finals three times in a row in Paris is logically one of the very best clay court players. But Dominic literally grew up on this surface. ”

The current account of the 25-year-old from Lower Austria tells a similar story. With the recently fixed victory at the ATP-1000 event from Indian Wells, a hard court triumph is strikingly bold in the résumé and also last year's indoor title of St. Petersburg and the full success of the hard court of Acapulco and the lawn of Stuttgart (both 2016) underpin the picture of the Gesamtkunstwerk.

Nevertheless, Austria's top man has so far conquered eight of his 12 ATP tournament victories on clay, and six of the remaining seven finals are there. Before the start of the 2019 Euro sand season, the right-hander's career win rate was a tight 74.2 percent. For comparison: Dominic Thiem last stayed on hard court, after the first round bankruptcy of Miami against Polish promoted Hubert Hurkacz, at under 57.

Win rate: Nadal far away, Federer and Djokovic within reach

It may well be that he will continue to improve his dirty socks account in the next weeks and months. In any case, he is already targeting two of the very largest. Roger Federer won 76 percent of his clay court matches at ATP and Major level, and Novak Djokovic even 79 percent. Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, seems unreachable in the foreseeable future. The Mallorcan has a fabulous 92 percent winning sand games. Dominic Thiem could lay out a greased interim calculation this June after five planned clay court classics.

Before this year's clay court tour, we look back at everything that the red-white-red top 5 man has achieved in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros and what has not. First of all: Statistically speaking, Dominic Thiem's chances of full success are best on the biggest stage.

Thiem at the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo (April 14 to April 21, 2019)

Previous Thiem record: 5 match wins in 5 starts

• 2014: For the number 84 in the world, there is a close first-round defeat against France's offensive spirit Nicolas Mahut, 44 places better.
• 2015: A surprising start-up bust as a world ranking 44. against the then number 108, Lucas Pouille.
• 2016: In 14th place in the world rankings, victories over Struff and Daniel are followed by a strong but ultimately lost two-set match against the eventual tournament winner Rafael Nadal.
• 2017: After a bye and victory over Robin Haase, the number 9 in the world has a third round out against the four ranks placed David Goffin.
• 2018: A painful but educational 0: 6, 2: 6 quarterfinal clap from Rafa has to be filed as an "experience". However, one lap before that Thiem can bend Novak Djokovic for the first time. And at the start Russian rookie Rublev.

Thiem at the ATP 500 Barcelona (April 22 to April 28, 2019)

Previous Thiem record: 10 match wins in 4 starts

• 2014: When number 80 was initially too strong for the established cracks Radek Stepanek and Marcel Granollers, Thiem was narrowly defeated by the physically more mature Colombian Santiago Giraldo in round three.
• 2015: A rather lackluster first round loss to the Dominican island oldie Victor Estrella Burgos is the result.
• 2017: final! There, however, Mr. Nadal was one size too big (4: 6, 1: 6). Dominic Thiem can still set a milestone in the Catalan metropolis and bends his first, reigning number 1 in the world rankings with Andy Murray in the semifinals.
• 2018: After favorite wins over Munar and Kovalik, the then number 7 in the world is subject to Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was 56 places behind at the time.

Thiem at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, (5.5. To 12.5. 2019)

Previous Thiem record: 12 match wins in 4 starts

• 2014: After two qualifying victories and a first-round victory over top 40 man Dmitry Tursunov, the then number 70 in the ATP ranking provided the sensation of the tournament and sent the number 3 in the world home with Stan Wawrinka. Even before the third round match against Feliciano Lopez, Thiem "loses" against an intestinal virus.
• 2016: Out in round one against the just comeback Juan Martin del Potro (then number 274) - Thiem's only Madrid defeat so far against a poorly ranked opponent.
• 2017: As number 9 in the world, Thiem hits Donaldson, Dimitrov, Coric and Cuevas in a row before he delivers a dramatic fight in the final Rafael Nadal, but is narrowly defeated 6: 7 and 4: 6.
• 2018: After close games against Delbonis and Coric, number 7 defeats Rafael Nadal for the third time (after Buenos Aires 2016 and Rome 2017) and is thus finally his first challenger on clay. Then Thiem defeats Kevin Anderson before losing 4: 6 and 4: 6 in the final against Sascha Zverev.

Thiem at the ATP Masters 1000 Rome (May 12 to May 19, 2019)

Previous Thiem record: 8 match wins in 4 starts

• 2015: Starting as number 49, after successes over Simone Bolelli and Gille Simon, Stan Wawrinka is a little too strong this time - 6: 7, 4: 6.
• 2016: With the third round victory, his first over Roger Federer (7: 6, 6: 4), Dominic Thiem has fulfilled a childhood dream. In the quarterfinals, however, the out against Kei Nishikori follows.
• 2017: As number 7 in the world, Thiem initially narrowly wins against Pablo Cuevas and Sam Querrey, rather he plastered reasonably smoothly with 6: 4 and 6: 3 in the semi-final with a brilliant performance Rafa Nadal. In the semifinals, the Austrian is the victim himself: 1: 6, 0: 6 against Novak Djokovic.
• 2018: A rather surprising defeat at the start against the always unpredictable Fabio Fognini (then number 21) - Dominic Thiem's first and so far only Roma out against a player placed behind him.

Thiem at the French Open (May 26th to June 9th, 2019)

Previous Thiem record: 18 match wins at 5 starts

• 2014: Three years after the wafer-thin junior final against US boy Björn Fratangelo, he returned to the French Open as number 57 in the men's ranking. Conclusion: Smooth victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu, strict lesson by Rafael Nadal (2: 6, 2: 6, 3: 6)
• 2015: As number 31 in the world, Thiem wins a four-set game against Aljaz Bedene and loses the second against Pablo Cuevas (then 23rd).
• 2016: On the way to the first Paris Semi, Messrs. Cervantes, Garcia-Lopez, Sascha Zverev, Granollers and Goffin have to bow to the superiority of the 22-year-old Austrian. In the semifinals, however, Novak Djokovic knows no mercy and wins with 6: 2, 6: 1 and 6: 4.
• 2017: the year of revenge. After three-set victories over Tomic, Bolelli, Johnson and Zeballos, "Nole" even misses the monocle in the third of only three sets. Then the reverse picture in the semifinals. After 3: 6 and 4: 6, Rafael Nadal sets the maximum penalty for Dominic Thiem in the third round.
• 2018: Ivashka, Tsitsipas, Berrettini, Nishikori, Sascha Zverev and Cecchinato - this is the list of those who were crushed last year by the newly minted triple semi finalists and finalists. In the final, Rafael Nadal was again too strong with 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 2. And yet: Over the past three years, Dominic Thiem has won as many match wins as Roland's 11-time French Open triumphant in Roland Garros. Of course, this was not only strong performance but also Rafa's third round where owed in 2016. For the title "Crown Prince of Paris", however, the Austrian's record is enough…