French Open: "Very tricky" - Herwig Straka not happy with Dominic Thiem's draw
Dominic Thiem has to deal with a very difficult draw at the French Open. Manager Herwig Straka was also not happy with the Austrian's possible path to the title.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Sep 25, 2020, 02:32 am
Marin Cilic, Reilly Opelka, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - this is how Dominic Thiem's mapped out path to the second Grand Slam title reads. The Austrian caught by far the most difficult draw of all top stars in Paris and must therefore be wide awake from the first second.
Thiem's manager Herwig Straka knows that too. "Very tricky," said the tournament director of the ATP 500 event in Vienna to the APA about the draw. Straka does not see the fact that his protégé triumphed at the US Open as an advantage: "The French Open will start again from scratch."
Thiem's shape should fit
"Just like at the US Open, you have to win the first round to get far. And of course the draw didn't make it easier," Straka continued. The opener Cilic, against whom Thiem leads 3-0 in a direct comparison, has one advantage, but: "There is no risk that he will take it the easy way, lightly."
The shape should fit the Austrian. "He put it away pretty well after a few days," said Straka, referring to possible signs of fatigue after the US Open.
Thiem used the time after the triumph in New York to get back to 100 percent physically and mentally. The world number three has been in Paris since Wednesday, and on Thursday he completed his first training session with Nicolas Massu on the Suzanne Lenglen court. On Friday, Thiem will have a session with Stan Wawrinka.
rg2020