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How can you recognize the uncertainty in Dominic Thiem’s game and what should be better against Marin Cilić.
Dominic Thiem has reached the third round of the US Open in New York without losing a set. This is a positive snapshot that was not necessarily to be expected. The dress rehearsal against Serbian Filip Krajinović a week earlier at the venue could not have been worse, only three games won against number 32 in the world rankings had raised doubts.
Dominic Thiem is not only known for his hard shots, but also for his early problems. The 27-year-old has fought regularly in his first matches in the past, really clear and energy-saving victories like those of Novak Djoković, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer who almost never want to be successful at world number three. Also, for an elite player, Thiem is one with a huge range of fluctuation in his strokes, but the increase over the course of the tournament is usually significant.
In New York, Thiem did his homework in the early rounds against Jaume Munar and Sumit Nagal, both of whom are not in the top 100. However, there was great uncertainty in Thiem. He still doesn’t know where he stands in terms of play, while some competitors like Djoković or Stefanos Tsitsipas have so far given an impression of great confidence. Thiem, on the other hand, is still relatively cautious for his circumstances, even regressing a bit to the old-time pattern.
A clear indication of the uncertainty: against the Nagal Indian, he was often five or six meters behind the baseline when returning, and he took an overly defensive stance. Nagal is definitely not one of the best servers on the tour, on the contrary. At Arthur Ashe Stadium, the loser served the first serve at an average of 161 km / h, which was only 2 km / h faster than Thiem’s second serve.
In the end, Thiem’s inappropriate safe distance was not punished because Nagal lacked the necessary weapons to play. Thiem’s next opponent, Marin Cilić, has these weapons. He knows how to get into the net after his opponent’s punches are too short, to complete plays there.
