Flashback - 10 years ago today: Dominic Thiem sends Thomas Muster to ATP pension
On October 25, 2011 there was the first and only duel between the now two most successful tennis players from Austria: Dominic Thiem , then 18, ended the ATP career of 44-year-old comeback player Thomas Muster . tennisnet looks back - with the original text.
by bb / MaWa
last edit: Oct 25, 2021, 01:42 pm
Dominic Thiem set a milestone in his young career at the Erste Bank Open. In front of around 7,500 spectators, the 18-year-old from Lower Austria prevailed against his 26-year-old opponent Thomas Muster 6: 2, 6: 3 at the start of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in the Wiener Stadthalle and thus ended his career the ATP tour. The Styrian will compete in the Challenger in Salzburg this year, contest an event on the Champions Tour in Chile and in all likelihood only play selected senior tournaments in the coming year.
For Thiem, the success against the former world number one in the third attempt on the ATP tour - before he had only served in a main ATP competition in Kitzbühel and Bangkok - the first success at this tournament level. In the round of 16, however, it will be much more difficult for the Bresnik protégé: either the Russian Nikolay Davydenko or the Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis is waiting there.
Many had expected in advance that the youngster would not be able to cope with the great pressure in front of this huge backdrop, which mainly creates mood for Muster. "I was impressed by it," admitted Thiem, "but I was still able to call up my performance. Mentally, this game was definitely more difficult than playful." In any case, the tension of the Lower Austrian was hardly noticeable, he pulled away with his strong serves and forehand within only 17 minutes with a double break to 4: 1, after half an hour the first set was over.
Standing ovations lasting minutes for Thomas Muster
In the second round, Muster found his way into the game better and made the break to 3: 1 amid the cheers of the audience. But with the immediate rebreak, the momentum spilled over again to Thiem, who ultimately left the self-sacrificing fighting pattern no more game and after 63 minutes used the first match point. Muster hugged him while shaking hands on the net, stroking his hair before throwing his racket and towels into the crowd, saying "thank you" and saying goodbye to the local tennis crowd with standing ovations that lasted for minutes with tears in his eyes. The 44-year-old only had words of praise for his predestined successor: "He played brilliantly and did an excellent job and he deserved to win. I wish him all the best and that he makes a lot out of his talent."
Update on October 25, 2021: Thiem has made a lot of his talent, reached two French Open finals and won a total of 17 titles so far. His biggest: the one at the US Open 2020. Thiem has also won his games: in 2019 he won in Kitzbühel and Vienna.
The paths of Thiem and Muster crossed again, especially at the beginning of the 2020 season, when Muster joined Team Thiem as a super coach. However, the liaison did not last long, Thiem announced the separation of the two during the Australian Open .