Thiem shows strong nerves and knocks down Nadal

The ATP spoke of a “heavyweight showdown” before the game. Rightly so, as it should show.

Unsurprisingly, the match took a completely open course, with neither player able to gain an advantage at the start.

After there was no chance to break, the tiebreak was logically.

Thiem recovered a deficit of 2: 5 with three points in a row, soon after he defended himself from two set balls from the Spaniard and took the lead of the set with 9: 7.

The protocol of the match: this is how Nadal ran against Thiem

Nadal reacted with a raise, in the first game of the second set, the 34-year-old missed the first breakball of the game. In the seventh game, the moment had come: with a forehand winner, the second in the world qualified the break to make the 4: 3.

Thiem was not surprised in any way, he continued to play at the highest level and responded with the rebreak. In the tenth game, the world number three was one better and took the lead with a 5: 4 and a 40: 0 serve from Nadal.

The 13-time French Open champion did not give up and fought back against his opponent’s three match points.

The decision was made again in the tie-break, which Thiem scored 7: 4 after a total playing time of two hours and 25 minutes.

In the second group match, Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Andrey Rublev in the evening, and that could have an impact on Thiem.

If Tsitsipas wins, Thiem would qualify for the semi-finals before the last day of the group match.

“It was a great game from the first to the last ball,” Thiem explained after the game. “I won the first set a bit happy after I was already 2: 5 behind,” said the Austrian.

“I was very satisfied with the service,” Thiem emphasized. “It helped me out of difficult situations. That is perhaps the most important blow of all in indoor tennis.”

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