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Dominic Thiem opposes after a three-set win Daniil Medvedev for the first time in the US Open final. The Austrian will meet there on Sunday (10pm CEST, live on Eurosport and in Austria on ServusTV and on our live ticker) Alexander Zverev.
by Jens Huiber
Last edit: September 12, 2020, 9:04 am
© Getty Images
Too much premature euphoria did not emerge among Austrian tennis fans after winning Dominic Thiem’s second set in the 2020 US Open semifinals against Daniil Medvedev: A few minutes earlier, Thiem had taken an unfortunate step, limping slightly but noticeably down the court. Arthur Ashe Stadium. And now he had taken his shoes off, called the tournament physiotherapist and received two new pairs of shoes from himself, Alex Stober.
They needed some time to shoot as in the second round Medvedev showed up with a break, Thiem took the last chance to come back. The fact that there was a 6: 2, 7: 6 (7), 7: 6 (5) at the end after 2:55 hours of play, did not reflect the balance in this match. “It was a great game at a very high level,” Thiem said at his press conference after reaching the US Open final for the first time. “It was probably the hardest three-set win I’ve ever had. I could very easily have delayed a sentence or two. Hit the second and third. Fortunately, I played my best tennis towards the end of these sentences. “
Thiem shows no nerves at the end of the second sentence
Especially at the beginning of the third set, many instant historians felt called to the scene: hadn’t Alexander Zverev faced a 2-0 deficit against Pablo Carreño Busta? And didn’t Thiem seem suddenly vulnerable after his shoe accident? Perhaps. Daniil Medvedev has never gotten rid of such a gap in his career, yes, the Russian cannot even register a five-set victory in his life.
Furthermore, it would have been extremely remarkable if it had been repeated on the same night what had happened only five times in the semifinals of the US Open in the Open Era of tennis: a comeback after two lost sets.
From a sporting point of view, of course, Medvedev could have been trusted. “He was even a slightly better player until he served his sentence,” Thiem continued. “I did the rebreak twice in exactly the same situation. The really important key game was 5: 5 in the second set, where I blocked four or five break opportunities. “
Clearly positive balance against Zverev
Thiem’s tactic of mixing the FX types and speeds worked perfectly in the end. And this will be exactly the approach against Alexander Zverev on Sunday in the final. Most recently, the two played against each other in the Australian Open semi-finals in early 2020, when Thiem prevailed. Overall, the Austrian has his nose in mutual balance with 7-2 wins up front.
Respect for your friend is still great. “Sascha is a fantastic player. One of the most important in recent years. He has won all titles except one major. Of course, he will do everything possible to win the title. Thiem and Zverev have met twice in finals: 2016 in Nice (winner Thiem) and 2018 in Madrid (winner Zverev).
Here’s the single draw at the 2020 US Open
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