Dominic Thiem is back in the French Open quarterfinals for a fifth consecutive time. But it hasn’t been easy. Or at least it wasn’t on Sunday.
From two sets up, Thiem found himself in a fifth set against little-known French wild card Hugo Gaston before surviving 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3. The U.S. Open champion had previously routed Marin Cilic, Jack Sock, and Jack Sock, but those performances hardly mean anything given his struggles against Gaston. Although it was a high-quality match for the most part, it was not what Thiem needed heading into the business end of the tournament.
“Obviously (the) last weeks were tough,” the world No. 3 admitted. “I’m not running on a full tank anymore; that’s for sure. So I’m trying to do everything to have a great recovery, to have a good day off tomorrow, and then go out on Tuesday as fit as possible. If I’m able to do that, it’s going to be an exciting match.”
That match will come against one of Thiem’s best friends on tour, Diego Schwartzman. The head-to-head series stands at 6-2 in favor of the Austrian, who has won three of their four previous clay-court encounters. They faced each other twice on the slow stuff last season, when Schwartzman prevailed 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in Buenos Aires before Thiem cruised 6-3, 5-3 in Barcelona.
Schwartzman returned from the coronavirus hiatus with a trio of disappointing results, but he is suddenly playing the best tennis of his career. The 14th-ranked Argentine finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in Rome, stunning Rafael Nadal in the process, and is now through to the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the second time. So far this fortnight Schwartzman has taken out Miomir Kecmanovic, Lorenzo Giustino, Norbert Gombos, and Lorenzo Sonego all in straight sets.
“After [Thiem’s match] I was on the bike stretching,” the 28-year-old said. “After that, Domi arrived and we were kidding, ‘Okay, this is the last time we talk each other until Tuesday.’ He was [motioning] like he was going to hit me in my legs.”
It is Thiem’s legs that could be the issue on Tuesday. With the recent Grand Slam champ running on fumes both mentally and physically, and Schwartzman on fire, an upset could be in the cards.
Pick: Schwartzman in 5
I reckon Dom wins in 4 now.
Theim just donates the break, seriously? What a lousy match!
Where has DLBH gone? Is there a law against it in this match? Sigh!!!
If this goes to 5 Rafa will feel pumped!
That’s only if Diego can serve it out lol at 0:40
Man, it’s hard to hit a winner against Schartz. He’s great. I still want Thiem to win though.
Thiem doing rafa things. Stealing sets he had nog business winning
Hallmarks of a true champ, lol!!!
Diego let this get away from him. He just did not have the belief that he could win. He had so many chances.
Yes, he had a lot more chances than most!! he still continues to get chances but he does not make good use of them, lol.
NNY, good to hear from you. How are you doing?
VR,
I am hanging in there with this pandemic. It’s been difficult. Everything has been turned upside down. Then there is the political situation in the states. I just hope we can survive the insanity of Trump as he is incapable of dealing with the virus.
It’s good to see tennis again, but it’s not the same. I think they should have waited until there was a vaccine. I miss the crowd.
Rafa is not match ready and that concerns me.
Great to see you here! 😀
Now Theim is going to win it! Right there!!
Theim has grown a 5 o’clock shadow since this match has began, lol!
Dom really really should have won that tie break! Not sure how he didn’t..
5th set.. thiem’s third in the last six matchez he has played. If he wins he is going to be fodder for sinner/rafa
No…the sf is on friday…full 2 days recovery
Is Rafa going to get on court today?! I am beginning to wonder…
No that’s not really my takeaway!! Not being able to close a set when serving for it on a number of occasions, the sloppiness throughout the whole match? That’s whats going to be fodder for Rafa!
Neither one of these guys gonna beat Rafa if he and when gets thru Sinner!
Well you wanted them to play 5 sets Mona!!😀
Oh yes! But the quality of play during the course of the match came more into focus, the fitness issue is now cherry on top, lol!!
So it’s going to a fifth set. This is unreal.
When is Rafa going to play ffs!! They should have realised that this could happen!
They should have started playing already. Same with Wimby, very stupid. They have to be more flexible. People who want to see the other match, just get up and go to that court.
Exactly what I was thinking Eugene! I keep thinking about when we say around all day at wimby waiting for Rafole to start!
The scheduling is atrocious. There is supposed to be a woman’s match played after this one. So when is Rafa going to play?
Brad G. saying maybe Rafa has to play tomorrow nny!
Bit of a farce
😠😠
amy,
What? Why don’t they move the women’s match to another court?
I think it’s raining a bit nny!
Brad G may not be correct..the commentators here think he is playing after the women. But it will be 9 by the time the women start…
On the plus side, Schwarzman and Thiem beating each other up is good news for Rafa…
Yes but whoever wins will have 2 days rest as apposed to 1 day for Rafa if he plays tomorrow!!
Best if rafa plays tomorrow morning first thing.. that way djokovics match can rollover to thursday 😝
Haha! Yes!😀
Busta is ill so that match will be over in 5 minutes..
Would it actually be better for Rafa to play first thing tomorrow?
Wow what a fortnight for diego!! Beating rafa and thiem🥳🥳
The women r playing now! Seriously? Don’t know either one of them, sigh!!!
Hope it finishes in an hour
Got home in time to see Diego win. Glad I missed it. Dominic looked as bad as he probably ever looks. Diego, Yay, good for him!
I’ll just wander over to the WTAA page and talk to myself until time for Rafa. I like Swiatek very much. Don’t know the other player at all – never seen her – Martina Trevisan.
Fat chance, the women mostly play 3 lately. Let’s hope Rafa doesn’t have to go 5.
Thiem must have finally run out of energy in the 5th. Wasn’t sure he could be run dry. Ah, well, quick turnaround from USO plus a really nasty draw did it.