Erste Bank Open: Dominic Thiem beats Tommy Paul after a mega comeback!
After a sensational comeback, Dominic Thiem is in the round of 16 of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The Austrian beat Tommy Paul 2: 6, 7: 6 (2) and 7: 6 (6) after defending against two match points.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Oct 25, 2022, 08:44 pm
Here you can read the match in the live ticker
by Nikolaus Fink from the Wiener Stadthalle
Big comeback from Dominic Thiem : The Lower Austrian beat Tommy Paul in the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna 2: 6, 7: 6 (2) and 7: 6 (6). The 2020 US Open winner caught up a 2:5 deficit in the third set and also fended off two match points in the decisive tie-break.
As much as the Austrian tennis fans were looking forward to Thiem's first appearance in the federal capital, the start was so sobering from the local hero's point of view. After only eleven minutes of play, the 29-year-old was 0: 4 behind, at that point the world number 113 had. from Lichtenwörth only won two points.
Paul easily wins set one
Although Thiem found the match a little better afterwards, the train towards winning the set had long since left: After only 26 minutes, the great Paul, who demanded everything from Thiem three years ago in the first round of the French Open in a competitive four-set game, secured himself had the first round with a forehand winner.
Paul also played at a high level at the beginning of the second period, but this time Thiem knew how to counter it - and in the third game he managed to defuse two of his opponent's breakballs, which is worth seeing. Two games later, the 29-year-old pulled his head out of the noose again on his own serve, and in the American's subsequent service game, Thiem then missed his first two breakballs.
Thiem plays outstanding tie break
A knife-edge match developed in which Thiem gradually seemed to gain the upper hand. Nevertheless, the Austrian did not break, so a tie-break had to make the decision. In this, the local hero showed sensational tennis, the short decision went 7: 2 to Thiem.
At the beginning of the third round, Thiem missed two breakballs, Paul did better a few minutes later and took his opponent's serve to make it 2-0. The Lichtenwörther didn't give up after that either and, thanks to the frenetic support of the home crowd, managed the break to 4:5 at the last moment.
Thiem now against Medvedev?
From that moment on there was no holding back the fans in the Stadthalle, but Paul held up well. And so a tiebreak had to bring the decision again. In this, the American initially found two match balls, but Thiem fended them off and was then allowed to cheer himself.
After two hours and 55 minutes of play, he turned his first match point into a 2:6, 7:6 (2) and 7:6 (6) win. In round two, Thiem will meet Daniil Medvedev or Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday.
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