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Gilles Simon relies on the Thiem generation

In his latest blog on the ATP website, French tour veteran Gilles Simon thought about who could come back the most after the break. His guess: players like Dominic Thiem .

by tennisnet.com
last edit: Aug 07, 2020, 08:04 am

Gilles Simon at the ATP Cup in early 2020
© Getty Images
Gilles Simon at the ATP Cup in early 2020

Gilles Simon saw a lot, probably even everything, on the ATP tour. The Frenchman has been touring the traveling tennis circus since 2002 and has won 14 titles in the course of this trip, the last one in Metz in 2018. Besides Bucharest, this is also the place where the 35-year-old has played most successfully, each with three tournament wins.

In his current blog for the website of the ATP tour, the veteran has now dealt with the question of which players are best to come out of the Corona break. Simon's conclusion: “I think the last time has been best for the middle-aged boys, players between 25 and 30 years old. I think you have experience on the ATP tour and it was the right moment to improve your game and take stock of what happened in the first part of your career. "

Thiem falls into the age bracket

"You are now beginning to understand a little more about yourself as a person and as a player," continued Simon. “Middle-aged players are beginning to understand the limits they had before. And now you've had time to work on these things while still having the energy to do them. You are still very young and healthy. It will be great for them. "

If you now strictly follow Gilles Simon's assessments, then this would have to apply above all to one player: Dominic Thiem. The Austrian, thus a feared opponent of Simon (balance: 9: 2 for Thiem), has consistently worked on himself during the tournament break and, next to David Goffin, is the only top ten player in the age category mentioned. Thiem celebrates his 27th birthday on September 3, and is thus significantly younger than Novak, Djokovic , Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer , who will be 39 years old from Saturday, has colleagues Stefanos Tsitsipas (21), Alexander Zverev (22) or Daniil Medvedev (24) but a few years of experience ahead.

Other candidates: Schwartzman and Dimitrov

If you consistently continue Simon’s thought game, then Diego Schwartzman (27 years old) and Grigor Dimitrov (29) would have to come out of the crisis much better from the top 20. What would come as a surprise in both cases: Due to the corona measures, Schwartzman did not have the same training opportunities in Argentina as Thiem in Austria. And Dimitrov is only on the way back to one hundred percent fitness after being infected with the virus and becoming ill.

by tennisnet.com

Friday
Aug 07, 2020, 08:07 am
last edit: Aug 07, 2020, 08:04 am