"Insane. Insane. Inhuman": This is how the US Open final between Thiem and Zverev went
Did you watch the entire US Open final between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev? Here is a quick look back ...
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Sep 14, 2020, 12:25 pm
It is 1:49 a.m. in Germany when Boris Becker gives a forecast in a Munich television studio, with all the experience of the tennis street fighter of days gone by. Alexander Zverev just made the break to 5: 3 in the fifth set against Dominic Thiem in the US Open final, so he serves to win the match, to the first major title of his career. Becker says: "The next four points will be the hardest of his life."
Becker is proved right, exactly half an hour later, at 2.19 a.m. , it's all over. Not for Zverev's opponent Dominic Thiem, but for the German. Zverev not only conceded a rebreak to 4: 5, after 5: 5, 5: 6 and 6: 6 waypoints he also lost the due tiebreak in the last ten minutes of the 241-minute thriller - 2: 0 he leads in the ultimate lottery game before the defeat is sealed with the 6: 8 point Thiems.
Nothing had indicated this end when Zverev took a 2-0 lead on his bench at 11:37 p.m. and after just 80 minutes of play. "He's got the thing under control, but it's not over yet," said Becker, the Eurosport expert, on record. He knows what he's talking about, he has often enough won the most impossible games. When nobody believed in him anymore.
At 11.49 p.m. hope for Zverev's opponent Thiem finally seems to dwindle: The German breaks the 2-1 break in the third set, to win he would only have to serve four times. But what happens is this: the immediate rebreak to 2-2, in a nine-minute game until 11:58 p.m. - and a change in the balance of power.
Thiem starts a race to catch up like never before in his career. At 0.27 a.m. he wins the third set, at 1.09 a.m. he equalized to a 2-2 draw. He now looks like the more likely winner, but here, too, Becker raises his forefinger warningly: “Sascha will not surrender without a fight. It starts all over again from point zero. "
Set 5 starts at 1:12 a.m. , with a break for Thiem. But at 1:16 a.m. both fighters are at eye level again, Rebreak Zverev to 1: 1. Both players hold their serve until the Zverevs break at 1:49 a.m. The dream of victory bursts quickly, Thiem shortened with the rebreak to 4: 5 at 1.51 clock . In Thiem's next service game, Zverev suddenly leads 30:15, two points are still missing to victory, but his friend and rival unpacks his very best tennis in the distress, two monstrous passing shots ultimately lead to 5: 5 at 1.57 a.m.
About Break Thiem at 6: 5 at 2:02 a.m. and Break Zverev at 6: 6 at 2:08 a.m. it goes into the tiebreak. Thiem falls 0: 2 behind, he not only fights against Zverev, but also against the tiredness of his body, against cramps. Zverev also runs on Center Court on tank reserve. He loses the lead, at 3: 3 the sides are changed, it is 2:12 in the Ashe Arena. The drama is approaching its climax.
At 2.15 a.m. Thiem has two match points with a 6: 4 lead, but he forgives them with hair-raising forehand errors. At 6: 6, the sides are changed again at 2:17 a.m.
Each of the two players can now win with the next two consecutive points. More tension, more nerve play is not possible. Zverev serves, but a Thiems passing ball means 7: 6 for the Austrian. And his third match point.
2.19 a.m. Thiem sinks to the ground, completely pumped out, but happy. A devious backhand from Zverev brought him the first Grand Slam title of his career, after losing three major finals before.
At 2.34 a.m. , Thiem's brother Moritz is switched to the Center Court screen. What does the winner have to say to the younger brother about the game? Just a few words, but they speak volumes: “Insane. Splendid. Insane. Inhuman. "And then this:" We are really celebrating now. "