Herwig Straka on Dominic Thiem: "He has gained in Confidence"
Herwig Straka trusts his protégé Dominic Thiem a lot in the upcoming tournaments.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Aug 14, 2020, 12:28 pm
In around a week it will be time for Dominic Thiem : For the first time since his quarter-finals at the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, the Austrian will play for points for the world rankings again. The scene of the return will be the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, which will be held in New York this year.
In view of the months-long Corona compulsory break, there is currently a lot of guesswork as to who will best get out of the affair in the Big Apple. Thiem, that much seems certain, will in any case be expected. After all, the Lower Austrian showed strong performances at numerous exhibition events and is therefore one of the top favorites at the two tournaments in New York (Cincinnati and US Open).
Thiem played "unbelievably" at Exhbitions
Thiem manager Herwig Straka knows that, too, who also rated the sometimes grandiose performances of his protégé as impressive. "As I can see, he has already gained in Confidence - also because he played unbelievably at the exhibitions. You could see that he is right at the front. I hope it doesn't degenerate into over-security. He trained well and himself Humanly developed over the months. He stands even more on his own two feet, "said Straka in an interview with the APA .
Unlike Thiem himself, who would attach less importance to a triumph at the US Open due to the cancellations of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer , Straka does not see any reduced importance of this year's US Open: "It's about a Grand Slam victory. I don't share quite the opinion that it is easier now because maybe one or two are not there. It's like in a ski race: If one is eliminated in the first round, the victory is no less worthwhile, you are still an Olympic or world champion. "
Win-win situation
However, the short gap of only three weeks between the US Open and French Open could be a problem - if Thiem plays in New York until well into the second week. "If he gets far in the two tournaments in America, that's a challenge for his mental situation. It has always been the case that after he has come a long way in a Grand Slam, it took him a week or two to know On the other hand, everyone has now played little or not at all. In this respect, this recovery time will be significantly reduced. He can be trusted to go far at both Grand Slams. Now let's hope that he will go far at the US Open is coming, "says Straka.
If, contrary to expectations, Thiem should lose early at the US Open, this would have at least one positive side effect, according to Straka: "Should he be eliminated early, he can at least defend his Kitzbühel title. He can actually only win."