Former Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem will be in first-round action against the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino on Thursday, looking for his second win of the season.
(WC) Dominic Thiem vs. Adrian Mannarino
It has been a little over two and a half years since Dominic Thiem lifted the U.S. Open trophy. Since his only Grand Slam triumph, the former world No. 3 has faced some motivation issues, a 2021 wrist injury that left him sidelined for months, and the resulting battle to find some of the form that saw him to two French Open finals in addition to the 2019 Indian Wells title and the 2020 U.S. Open title. He’s still waiting.
The Austrian is ranked 102nd in the world, so he frequently relies on his name and star power to earn wildcards into events. Unfortunately for Thiem and his fans, the opportunities in 2023 have not paid off. He is an alarming 1-6 on the season; his lone victory came in Buenos Aires a few weeks ago over Slovakian Alex Molcan. If there is a bright side it’s that he owns a dominant 8-1 record over his Thursday opponent, Adrian Mannarino. The bad news is that it’s been a hot minute since they have played, and Thiem isn’t the player he once was right now.
Mannarino is a consistent tour veteran. The world No. 68 has been in the top 100 since 2014. He hasn’t come close to winning an event in 2023, but he has certainly fared better than Thiem has this year. Mannarino posted a pair of quarterfinal showings in Dallas and Delray Beach last month, although he crashed out in the first round in Monterrey and Acapulco.
Despite the obvious matchup advantage Thiem enjoys, it’s difficult to consider him the favorite in Thursday’s contest. His form simply isn’t strong enough at the moment and the Frenchman is a player who makes opponents beat themselves.
Cheryl pick: Mannarino in 2
Ricky pick: Mannarino in 3
[yop_poll id=”41″]
Mannarino in 3
who ya got?
I went for Them just because it’s Indian Wells and conditions suit him better
I think this time Dominic Thiem is going to win