Generali Open Kitzbühel: Dominic Thiem - "I will no longer be a double Olympic champion"
Dominic Thiem was well received at the Generali Open 2019 in Kitzbühel. And faced the press in a good mood.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jul 29, 2019, 01:38 pm
By Jens Huiber from Kitzbühel
The many years of experience in Kitzbühel paid off for Dominic Thiem on Sunday at the latest: Despite the rather modest weather, the Austrian number one was able to train extensively; on Monday morning, Thiem traditionally answered the press. In a rather autumnal outfit, the sunny days of Hamburg have not yet arrived in Kitzbühel.
The basic tenor of Austria's number one: It not only feels good, it actually feels better than last year. It was not bad in Hamburg, even though the chances missed in the first set against Andrey Rublev still hurt. "That shouldn't really happen to a player of my class."
At the start against Miedler or Ofner
The first task in Kitzbühel will definitely be a local affair, either against Lucas Miedler or Sebastian Ofner. With all due respect to the potential opponent in 2019 - with Martin Klizan, the future winner, Thiem had to overcome a thankless hurdle a year ago. At which he also just barely failed. But that had nothing to do with the additional pressure of the home game. "I would have lost the match in any other country in the world." If he only drops a few percent from his level, the level at the top is so high that he could lose against many players. Just see last against Rublev in Hamburg.
It all started in Kitzbühel
Dominic Thiem will also be there in 2020 and in Kitzbühel. And thus, like in 2016, do without the Olympics in Tokyo. “Next year, Kitzbühel will be absolutely in the foreground before the Olympics, but I definitely want to play in Paris in 2024. And maybe there will be an Olympics after that, then I would be almost 35 years old. I believe that you have to experience it once, and I will do that in Paris in 2024. The chances of me becoming a double Olympic champion like my trainer are relatively slim. ”
Full concentration on Kitzbühel. Because here Dominic Thiem made his first ATP points, played his very first professional tournament. “I played my first ATP main field match here. Absolutely unforgettable, even if it didn't go so well. But the negative experiences are also important. "
Apart from that, Kitzbühel is simply beautifully situated and an absolutely great tournament.