It’s deja vu in the French Open men’s singles final. Dominic Thiem just hopes the outcome is a lot different this time around.
For the second straight time, Thiem and Rafael Nadal will battle for the Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday afternoon. To the surprise of no one, the 2018 title match went Nadal’s way in lopsided fashion–6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to be exact.
Overall, the 11-time Roland Garros champion leads the head-to-head series 8-4–including 7-4 on clay. Their lone encounter away from the slow stuff is their most memorable to date, as Nadal outlasted Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Open. They most recently faced each other in the Barcelona semis earlier this spring, when Thiem engineered a 6-4, 6-4 upset.
This, of course, is a totally different situation and a much different Nadal. The world No. 2 has heated up on the heels of a March knee injury and unusual clay-court losses in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, and Madrid to capture the Rome title and storm into Sunday’s final–his 12th in 15 career appearances in Paris–without any trouble. David Goffin stole a set in round three, but Yannick Hanfmann, Yannick Maden, Juan Ignacio Londero, Kei Nishikori, and Roger Federer all bowed out in straights.
Thiem’s roller-coaster fortnight was a wild ride early, smoothed out a bit with convincing wins over Gael Monfils and Karen Khachanov, and then went haywire again in the semifinals against Novak Djokovic. After a total of four hours and 13 minutes spanning both Friday and Saturday, the fourth-ranked Austrian survived a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 thriller against the top-seeded Serb that featured three significant rain delays.
“Novak, Dominic, and myself are maybe the players who have had the best results on [this] surface,” Nadal noted. “So (in) the finals, (it) will be the most complicated opponent for me. In a final like this one, the opponent is always at a very high level–but that’s the rule of sports. That’s why this sport is even more interesting and even better.”
Thiem vs. Djokovic was certainly an interesting one, not only due to competitiveness but also because of the somewhat controversial stopping and starting. Now the question is if the underdog can challenge–and even beat–a second straight all-time-great opponent on a second straight day.
“I think it’s really important that I go into the match with the belief to win,” Thiem explained. That’s the most important thing…. I (have) had some very good matches in the past against him on clay, and I also beat him on clay already.
“Of course it’s big dream for me to win [the] match tomorrow, to win this title. But I also have in my head that [maybe] it’s not happening tomorrow–which can happen easy because of the opponent [who] is on the other side of the net. So I think I don’t make (for) myself too much pressure.”
Thiem is absolutely correct that it may not happen for him on Sunday, as Nadal is obviously a massive favorite for multiple reasons. The 33-year-old Spaniard is a 17-time Grand Slam champion, is riding an 11-match winning streak, and has played only two matches–and just six sets–dating back to last Sunday night. Thiem, on the other hand, will be taking the match court in same shape or form for a fourth consecutive day.
It is just about impossible to forecast a Thiem victory, but his current clay-court level and his experience–albeit not a good one–from last year should help him make it more competitive.
Pick: Nadal in 4
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Yess! Break Rafa!☺
I’m not enjoying this at all!!! There’s too much at stake. Problem is they are both playing attritional tennis. Exhausting to watch.
Hope he settles down. Rafa service games are always a torture
Needs some good serves!
Rafa not secure on FH!
Finally a good serve!
What a game! Roger completes sets in wimbledon in that duration
Phew, Rafa finally holds!
Rafa looks more tired than Thiem despite Thiem’s five sets match yesterday! Thiem is just so fit and he runs so fast, getting to every ball! Rafa’s FH making many errors today.
Sorry, that’s me at 1:58PM.
Rafa making a run!
Yess! I could feel that coming!
Rafa doing Rafa things. Hope he does not do his Rafa thing when serving it out😳
Ye s! It’s torture!
Please find some great serves rafa!!
Rafa’s service games are always tortures for us! Come on Rafa, wins the set for goodness sake!
Rafa’s very tense. It’s not particularly hot today but Rafa is dripping buckets – always an indication of his anxiety level.
The commentators are rapidly running out of superlatives and it’s still only the first set
Yessss! Just fab from Rafa to steal the set!!☺
Wow! That was a set where Thiem had his chances big time. Rafa won the set in spite of being without colm
Hope he relaxes now and his fh clicks! Also hope we don’t have a lull.in concentration. Needs to break Dom early.
Cudnt resist.. great news Amy and Lucky.. hopefully he gets calm and takes the second .
Yes, no hiccups from Rafa, and he bags the first set! What a relief!
This Thiem is scarily good and Rafa plays a bit too tentatively imo, he’s like running out of ideas how to hit past Thiem when Thiem is everywhere retrieving shots! Thiem is not so good in returning Rafa’s lefty topspin serves. (He did practice returning a lefty’s serve before this match).
Rafa’s FH is also not helping him today, with all those errors, maybe Rafa is a bunch of nerve right from the start. His serve looks so vulnerable and it takes so long for him to hold his service games, yet he has better stats than Thiem!
I hope he settles down and be calm now after winning the first set.
I had to stop watching. I agree with ed about this match. My sister texted me that Rafa won the first set. Maybe I can watch now. But I am recording it.
I think this is going to be tough. I am getting too old for this.
Nny Rafa starting to play better! ☺☺
Now that’s what I want to hear.
amy,
Thanks for the update! I stopped watching when Rafa was broken early and then I started watching when he broke back. But my nerves got so bad that I had to stop. I am recording it.
I am hoping that Rafa will settle down. It’s good to know that he is playing better. Thiem does not look tired. He’s not going away.
We will keep you updated nny!!☺
Rafa has all the pressure on him. It must be hard. Thiem seems to be just blasting, hitting the ball as hard as he can. He’s got nothing to lose. Rafa will need all his smarts, savvy a d experience.
Hee, hee
Me too!
Dom and Massu exchanging words! How about a coaching violation?!