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Thomas Muster on Dominic Thiem: "Must play better than ever before"

At ServusTV's end-of-year gala, Thomas Muster notonly praised Dominic Thiem but also made a critical note.

by tennisnet.com
last edit: Dec 21, 2021, 11:00 am

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Thomas Muster and Dominic Thiem in Australia in early 2020
© GEPA Pictures
Thomas Muster and Dominic Thiem in Australia at the beginning of 2020

The collaboration between Thomas Muster and Dominic Thiem at the beginning of 2020 was only canceled for a short time, the working styles of the only two Austrian Grand Slam winners were then too different. Nevertheless, Muster continues to follow Thiem's career with interest. And commented on the current situation of the 28-year-old Lower Austrian at a ServusTV gala.

Thomas Muster cannot imagine that the 2020 US Open champion will actually make his comeback at the Australian Open. Dominic Thiem originally wanted to start at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships last week in Abu Dhabi, but canceled because he didn't feel ready yet. The then planned start at the ATP Cup in Sydney and the ATP Tour 250 tournament taking place there will not work either - Thiem traveled back to Austria because of a cold.

Muster sees increased competition for Thiem

This development worries Muster, who himself had to work for a long time on a comeback in 1989. Thiem has to "get back on the pitch as soon as possible", according to Muster at ServusTV. The coming season will be extremely difficult. Thiem has to play better than ever, because the next generation is already here, added the Styrian. In fact, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev in particular made a big leap in the past season, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, two hopeful youngsters are also in the starting blocks.

"Fair weather games", in which everything goes very easily, would no longer happen very often, continued Muster. Rather, Dominic Thiem "has to get used to playing with pain." In principle, the former number one in the world would like Thiem to show a little "more fire" when it comes to returning to the ATP tour.

If Thiem does not actually travel to Australia, the next comeback date is to compete at the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Buenos Aires and then at the 500 in Rio de Janeiro. Thiem won the title in the Argentine capital in 2016 and 2018, and in Rio in 2017.

by tennisnet.com

Tuesday
Dec 21, 2021, 11:45 am
last edit: Dec 21, 2021, 11:00 am