“It’s not really important” – Thiem talks about the absence of Federer and Nadal

Dominic Thiem benefits from the opponent’s abandonment, Andy Murray wins after a match point has been saved and the ailing Jannik Sinner fights in vain until he falls. The second day of the US Open on the ticker.

Austrian Dominic Thiem easily reached the second round of the US Open. The tennis world number three led 7: 6, 6: 3 in his opening match against Jaume Munar of Spain in New York on Tuesday when his opponent had to withdraw due to injury.

Thiem only had to survive a delicate moment in the first set tie-break when he gave up a 5: 1 lead, but still won the short decision at 8: 6. “My game was far from perfect, but it wasn’t wrong, “said the world’s number three.

Thiem is, also due to the absence of Federer and Nadal, one of the biggest challengers for the big favorite Djokovic. «Your absence is never pleasant. (…) Although I am a player myself, I love to see them », admits the Austrian when asked about the great absence. However, you don’t want to pay too much attention to the subject.

“There are still many, many great players. So it’s not really important because it’s not the first game they haven’t played in, ”says Thiem, noting that this could soon be the norm. “In a few years, all the Grand Slam will be without her.” In the second round, Thiem faces Indian Sumit Nagal (ATP 124).

Andy Murray was in his first round match against Yoshihito Nishioka (ATP 49) with 0: 2 sets and defended himself from one match point in the fourth round, before after 4:38 hours in extremis he was 4: 6, 4: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5), 7: 6 (7: 4), 6: 4 prevailed.

For Murray (ATP 115) it was the first match of a Grand Slam tournament since the 2019 Australian Open, when, through tears and after years of hip pain, he announced his resignation. Another hip operation in 2019 brought improvements, so the 2012 US Open champion returned to the field a year ago.

After almost two hours, Jannik Sinner against Karen Khachanov is about to create the surprise in the first round of the US Open. The Italian wins the first two sets with 6: 3 and 7: 6 before being held back by injury during the game.

Although the only 19-year-old can sometimes only put weight on one leg, need treatment and barely win a point, Sinner continues to play. And somehow he manages to get back on track in the fifth set and save himself in the decisive tiebreaker. There he pulls out the short straw and loses the game after a heroic fight with 6: 3, 6: 7, 2: 6, 0: 6 and 6: 7.

Top seed Novak Djokovic wins his first match at the US Open in three sets Tuesday night with usual ease. Damir Dzumhur (ATP 109) can only upset the Serbs temporarily in the second set, otherwise Djokovic has no problems to deal with, at least not with his opponent. A “new” rule, on the other hand, upsets the world’s number one in the second sentence.

The problem: Compared to the Western & Southern Open, last week’s tournament, the “Shot Clock,” a 25-second countdown between rallies, starts faster at the US Open. When Djokovic finds out about this from referee Damien Dumusois, he reacts without understanding: “Do you do it differently here? Why? Is there any explanation? Thanks for let us know “.

“The lack of communication worries me”

At the post-match press conference, the Serbian repeated the accusations. “I was not aware of it. No one really made me aware of it. The lack of communication is something that worries me again and it worries me a lot, ”the 33-year-old complains. In principle, he has nothing against it, as long as the communication is clear and the players are asked their opinion.

But changing the rules without information and on such short notice is unfair. “It’s something that I just don’t find acceptable or fair. But I’ll have to accept it, ”says Djokovic. However, he appeals: “Communication with the players must be improved before these things change.”

After all, Djokovic now has time to adjust to the shorter recovery times between rallies. The Serbian only has to play again on Wednesday, in the second round the top seed faces Britain’s Kyle Edmund.