Erste Bank Open: Dominic Thiem - "Paris is in serious danger"
Dominic Thiem will probably not take part in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy after his quarter-final defeat at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Oct 31, 2020, 12:41 am
Dominic Thiem was really not a handicap in the first set of the quarter-finals against Andrey Rublev. The Austrian played some famous tennis and was - at least according to Rublev's assessment - the slightly better player on the court. Still, the number one round in the tie-break went very close to the Russian.
After that, the air at the US Open winner was out, Rublev, on the other hand, gained more and more self-confidence and ultimately prevailed with 7: 6 (5) and 6: 2. Partly but not primarily responsible for this was a blister on the ball of the right foot, which Thiem visibly restricted from the middle of the second set.
Thiem praises strong Rublev
"I've had problems since the first lap. It got a little better then, but today I felt it again when I hit the ground. It got worse from rally to rally," said the Austrian at the subsequent press conference. He didn't want to diminish his opponent's performance: "He's improved his serve a lot. You're on the defensive almost the whole time."
A position from which Thiem was able to free himself far too seldom due to the physical problems. "There is simply extreme pressure on the ball of the foot. The rough surface here is almost poison," said the world number three.
Paris in danger, not London
The problems are not entirely new to him: "I actually have it all year round, especially indoors. I already had it last year in Vienna in the semifinals and in the final - and also in London. We have improved it, but it is still difficult. " In any case, his outfitter could not do anything about it: "The shoes and the insoles are perfect. That couldn't be better coordinated. It is often luck and bad luck when it occurs in the tournament."
The 27-year-old left it open whether Thiem will compete in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris next week: "Tonight or tomorrow I will think about what I will do with Paris. If I were fit, I would definitely be play in Paris. However, it makes little sense if I'm not pain-free. "
Compared to the ORF, however, the Lichtenwörther expressed himself much more clearly: "Paris is in serious danger. I tend to pull out." The last big goal of the season, the ATP Finals, are not at risk, according to Thiem: "London shouldn't be a problem." A message that at least lets Austrian tennis fans breathe a sigh of relief.