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Source: Getty
Due to the special circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, it is only the second Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, and for the second time Dominic Thiem is in the final.
The 27-year-old lower Austrian fights on Sunday (starting at 10:15 pm, SRF two) in his first US Open final, his fourth grand final, against German Alexander Zverev to make his dream come true.
25 years after Thomas Muster (at Roland-Garros), Dominic Thiem could become Austria’s second individual Grand Slam winner, rising to the ranks of sports legends in Austria. The fact that contrary to all expectations this could happen on hard court rather than sand is no longer surprising since the Melbourne final in January.
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Ripe for the first big win
Back then, Thiem led 2-1 sets against Novak Djokovic before the Serb prevailed in five sets. And even if Djokovic has been pulled out of the New York tournament because of his misstep, and Rafael Nadal is injured by the crown crisis and Roger Federer is missing: The triumph in this’ phantom grand slam – no fans, no atmosphere, but with the mentally stressful safety bubble, which players couldn’t get out of for up to four weeks, it would be particularly valuable.
Thiem looks set for the first title – in his three major finals so far, Nadal has stopped him twice in Paris and Djokovic in Melbourne. “It was difficult to digest the loss in Australia because it was so close. I am happy to have another chance in a very short time, ”Thiem said after beating last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev.
Free-TV: Thiem – Zverev
Sun 09/13/2020 22:10 – 01:00 | SRF two
USA 2020 | 170 min
Whats Next? Thiem: “If I win, I will have my first title, and if not, I will have to call Andy Murray and ask him for advice.” Like the great Ivan Lendl, the Scotsman lost his first four Grand Slam finals before becoming the three-time winner of a major tournament and number 1 in the world.
23-year-old final opponent Alexander Zverev is the first time in a final at this level. Zverev could become the first German Grand Slam winner since Boris Becker in Australia in 1996. That Murray can also triumph on the biggest stage, he proved two years ago with his triumph at the ATP Finals in London.
Zverev: “There is still one step to go”
So far, Zverev has been stopped by Thiem three times in Grand Slam tournaments: twice at Roland-Garros (2016 in the third round and 2018 in the quarter-finals) and in January in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Alexander “Sascha” Zverev is the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Novak Djokovic at the US Open ten years ago.
Zverev: “I couldn’t believe I lost the first two sentences. I didn’t know what was happening. But I still made it to my first Grand Slam final. That alone counts! Could not be happier. But there is still one step to take. “
The final winner can expect a gross of $ 3 million, the loser in the final receives half.
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