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Thiem watched the last three sentences of Gastons’ game against Wawrinka and was then impressed by the young Frenchman’s performance. “Gaston played very, very well. He has varied incredibly and he also knows exactly how to play in the conditions. He played sensational saves. Then, I will be prepared for the fact that I will often come out ahead, “Thiem explained before the match on center court.
In addition, the Austrian number three is sure that the youngster has also gained a lot of confidence in himself. “Of course, he will also swim the wave, which means that he will play much better than his position in the world ranking suggests. I will try again to show him from the first ball that my form is also very good at the moment. Then hopefully it will work. “
Thiem in the round of 16 against Gaston
In the round of 16 at the French Open, Dominic Thiem faces French surprise man Hugo Gaston. The 20-year-old convinced against Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round, so Thiem is warned.
Gaston wants to “enjoy” the duel with Thiem
In the ATP ranking, 23 French are better placed than Gaston. For a few days in his early 20s and winless on the tour before the French Open, the sensation man was actually a blank slate and only thanks to the wild card in the competition. With his march to the round of 16, Gaston, 1.73 meters tall, has almost made it into the top 150.
The duel with Thiem has long been just an encore for Gaston. The Frenchman certainly doesn’t want to play along. “I am very happy to be able to play against Dominic. He’s a fantastic player, a great fighter, ”Gaston said before his first major round of 16.“ It will be tough for sure, but I’ll try to enjoy it and then we’ll see, ”Gaston said.
The Frenchman, who is only contesting his third tour-level tournament after the 2020 and 2018 Australian Open wild cards in Marseille, is the first player outside the top 200 in the Roland Garros round of 16 since his compatriot Arnaud di Pasquale. (then ATP 283.) in 2002. With the American Sebastian Korda, another player did the same.
Thiem excited about the center court
The fact that Philippe Chatrier’s court is played, the largest court at Roland Garros, is certainly not a handicap for Thiem. The Austrian is already sufficiently accustomed to center court, having played two games on it. “I think the place is great to play. Now through the roof is a little more casual for me than in previous years. “
If the third in the world ranking prevails against Gaston, he will face Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman or the equally surprising Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday. After that, the 2018 and 2019 Roland Garros finals against Rafael Nadal could be repeated in the semi-finals.
But first it is important to clear the fourth obstacle in the way with the outsider Gaston, and use as little force as possible in the process. “Every game that is not too long helps to save energy. This is even more important now because my reserves are certainly not infinite after the last few weeks, ”Thiem also knows.
