[ad_1]
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev are great friends off the pitch, having known each other since their youth.
German fifth seed Alexander Zverev says “the two best players in the world” are contesting the men’s final at the US Open when he takes on second seed Dominic Thiem.
The two are close friends and both are aiming for their first Grand Slam title when they meet at 21:00 BST on Sunday.
Zverev, 23, is competing in his first grand final, while Thiem of Austria, 27, has lost all three of his previous finals.
“It’s great pressure for both of us. We have been working very hard for a long time to win a Slam,” Thiem said.
The final at Flushing Meadows in New York will end with the crowning of a new Grand Slam champion for the first time since the 2014 US Open, when Croatian Marin Cilic won.
The absence of 2019 champion Rafael Nadal and the great Swiss Roger Federer in the Grand Slam behind closed doors, plus the expulsion of main seed Novak Djokovic for hitting a linesman with a ball, has given the opportunity to have a shot recorded. new name. into a big trophy.
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland was the last man outside of the ‘Big Three’ to win the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon or the US Open, following his victory at Flushing Meadows in 2016.
Thiem ‘trying not to think’ about previous Slam losses
Thiem is the favorite to take advantage of the absence of the ‘Big Three’ and finally claim his first Grand Slam title.
The Austrian has lost the last two French Open finals to Nadal, who cemented his place as the greatest clay player of all time by winning his 11th and 12th Roland Garros titles.
He then lost the February Australian Open final against Djokovic, who claimed a record eighth title in Melbourne.
So this will be the first grand finale where the world number three does not play one of the greats of the game.
“I will not change my mind at all. I know what Sascha is capable of,” said Thiem, who struggled with an Achilles tendon injury in Friday’s semifinal victory over Russian Daniil Medvedev.
“I’ll go in like in the previous six games. From the moment Novak was out of the tournament, it was clear there was going to be a new Grand Slam champion.
“From that point on, that was also out of my mind. I was just focusing on the guys left in the frame.
“To me, it doesn’t really matter if it’s Sascha or one of the ‘Big Three’. I’m just trying to come in and do my best.”
Thiem joked after beating Russian third seed Medvedev that he might have to call Andy Murray if he lost a fourth Grand Slam final.
Britain’s Murray won his first major for the fifth time claiming victory at the 2012 US Open, adding a pair of Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016.
“It was really hard to digest that loss in Australia as I was very close back then. I’m happy I gave myself another shot in a short time with Sunday’s final,” Thiem said.
“Of course, it’s pressure on me. At the same time, I try not to think too much about it.”
Zverev shows mental determination to reach the final
Zverev has long been touted as one of the next generation who will eventually replace Nadal, Federer and Djokovic at the top of the men’s game, but too often he has displayed a number of weaknesses that have led many to doubt his true credentials. .
The highest point of his career so far was winning the 2018 ATP Finals, where he beat Djokovic and Federer on his way to the season-ending title.
He has long been flattered to cheat at the Grand Slams, but after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, where he lost to Thiem, he has advanced one more stage in the only grand since due to the pandemic. of coronavirus.
Zverev’s last two victories, against Croatian 27th seed Borna Coric and Spanish 20th seed Pablo Carreño Busta, have lacked quality.
But what those two victories did demonstrate, in particular the valiant two-set comeback against Carreño Busta, was the German’s impressive mental determination.
“Mentally, I stayed,” he said of Friday’s victory. “Even though I had two sets down to love, I stayed in it. I gave myself the best chance I could.
“I think many players would have left. It was a Grand Slam semi-final. There are no easy games anymore. Sometimes you have to go deeper.
“Obviously, I am happy to be in a final. But there is still one more step to take. For me, I think it is going to be extremely difficult.”
Can Thiem continue to dominate Zverev?
A recent indicator of how the pair will pair up is that semifinal meeting in Melbourne.
Thiem bounced back from an energy-sapping victory and a 5am final against Rafael Nadal two days earlier to outpace Zverev in a four-set win where he managed two tiebreakers.
Stronger groundstrokes and more experience on the bigger occasions helped the Austrian get through.
“In the last game we had in Australia, we both went, I mean really, really good. It was a very close game,” Thiem said.
“It’s good to be up front 7-2 head-to-head. When we both hit the pitch on Sunday, it doesn’t matter anymore.
“I expect a very tough and very open game. I guess that’s what it’s going to be.”
Routes to the end
Thiem has grown confidently into his role of second seed, and then tournament favorite after Djokovic’s departure, for the fortnight.
Impressively, he has only lost one set, to 2014 champion Cilic, in his previous six matches.
Another important statement was made when he said goodbye to Medvedev, who had barely had a problem with serving throughout the tournament, in a courageous performance.
Zverev has enjoyed an easier passage to the quarter-finals, helped in part by the departure of Djokovic on his side of the draw.
The German, who aspires to become his country’s first male Grand Slam champion since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open, has not faced an opponent ranked in the top 25 in the world.
[ad_2]
