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After twice at the French Open and last January at the Australian Open, Dominic Thiem also reached the final of the US Open for the first time. The 27-year-old Austrian defeated last year’s Russian finalist Daniil Medvedev after 2:56 hours with 6: 2.7: 6 (7), 7: 6 (5) and also survived a right Achilles tendon injury.
Thiem will now face Alexander Zverev (GER-5) in his fourth Grand Slam final on Sunday (10pm CEST / ServusTV live). The world number three has already secured 1,200 ATP counters and a prize money of 1.5 million US dollars (1.27 million euros). Against Zverev, Thiem has won seven times in nine games so far.
“I’m really relieved and delighted, of course it was a very good match. Very, very solid, few errors, perfect mix between offense, defense, well served, well returned. Everything was there ”, Thiem analyzed in an interview on Servus TV. When asked if it was perhaps the best game of his career, the now four-time Major League finalist said: “To beat a Medvedev here at the US Open in the 6: 2.7: 6.7: 6 semi-finals, it has to be one of my best matches. Has been.”
Thiem is proud, but at the same time he knows that “he still has a big job to do”. “If I hang up a bit and lose the final, the tournament will continue to be a huge disappointment. I’m happy now, but also half my brain at least on Sunday in the final. “
The Achilles tendon problem that occurred at 3: 2 in the second set tie-break hopefully no longer plays a role from Thiem’s point of view. “I’m not worried at the moment, but of course I’m full of adrenaline. That means I have to see what it’s like when I wake up in the morning. “He stopped in the tie-break at 3: 2 and went up a little too hard.” After that my Achilles tendon hurt a bit. ” To lead the set 2-0, he changed shoes. With softer insoles, pain was minimized. “In the third sentence I was really pain free.”
With brief interruptions, the match offered balanced and first-class tennis from start to finish. Due to the ghostly atmosphere in the empty Arthur Ashe Stadium, there was no well-deserved applause for any of the players. Thiem seemed more sovereign and constantly followed his tactic to make Medvedev work with the cut from the backhand. In the fourth game he found his first breakball before and after Thiem’s 3-2 service game to zero, the Russian was once again in an emotional frenzy: when Thiem had his second breakball to 4-2, Medvedev’s serve was lost. . The Russian wanted a video review via “Challenge”, but had already hit the ball before that. He then got into a heated argument on Thiem’s part, earning him a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Moscow native made a sarcastic apology several times and was then completely blameless. After 35 minutes and Medvedev’s second loss of service en suite, Thiem had established one with 6: 2 in the bag. It was the first defeat of the Russian in the course of the tournament.
Out of nowhere, Medvedev managed a quick break in the opening game of the second round. Thiem quickly fell behind with 0: 2. Nicolas Massu’s protégé ran after this to 4: 5, at the last moment Thiem rebreaked at 5: 5 after 73 minutes. The next service game lasted almost ten minutes, in which Thiem converted a 3: 5 into a 6: 5 after defending five break balls. The set went to a tie-break, in which Thiem initially suffered the aforementioned injury to the right Achilles tendon in 3: 2. Thiem defended himself from a ball set at 5: 6 and used his second chance to 9: 7 and to lead the set 2: 0.
Immediately afterwards, Thiem took the physio onto the court and took a three-minute break. After extensive Achilles tendon treatment, he continued. The match was now on the brink, even as Medvedev managed the break to 2-0. After an unused rebreak ball in the fifth game and when his opponent had made it 4: 1, Thiem snapped: “What kind of shoes are these?” and he scolded “dirty shoes” for slipping so often on hard courts.
Again at the last moment and when Medvedev could no longer use a set ball in 5: 3, Thiem managed to rebreak at 4: 5 after a remarkable show of force. After 2:40 hours, the winner of the tournament 16 times it was 5: 5, as in set two, this time after 2: 5 behind. He returned to the tiebreaker and Thiem quickly walked away to 5: 1. With 6: 4 he had two match points, he took the second chance to advance to the final.
Against Zverev, whom he last defeated this year in the Australian Open semi-finals with 3: 6.6: 4.7: 6.7: 6, Thiem wants to lift the first major trophy on the fourth attempt. “I expect a completely open game. He has been one of the great players on the tour for several years. He will also try everything to win his first Grand Slam tournament. I think it will be a lot like Australia, which was an equal match. “
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