Dominic Thiem beat Gastao Elias 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6) in a Davis Cup clash between Austria and Portugal on Friday, but not before displaying a rare fit of rage. After failing to convert a break point early in the final set, Thiem smashed his racket seven times before it crumpled to the extent that there was really nothing left to smash.
As usual, Thiem took to Facebook after his match:
He had this to say about the racket smash:
Thiem 'Breaking rackets on the court is somethig that I shouldn't do but sometimes it's the only way' pic.twitter.com/h0XqcseeBt
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) March 4, 2016
learned it from Gulbis
Well, that was fun! Don’t usually see Thiem get that emotional
What’s up with Thiem?! Awesome. Racquet smashing, marathon singles win yesterday and at it again going the distance in doubles…
Team Thiem!
Dom’s another one not picking deep in IW. Leaving it all out there for DC. Juao Sousa, too.
Meanwhile, ‘everybody Hyeon Chung tonight’ has breezed through his matches v New Zealand. Hope he’ll be at IW.
Very impressed with Gastao Elias after South American Swing and taking Dom to 5 sets yesterday. Elias and Sousa playing Peya and Thiem tight this rubber!
Staring at a live score…wow, must have been some riveting stuff. Austria makes it. 7(8)-6(6) 7(7)-6(4) 6-1 6-3 6-4
France and Canada doubles on TC. Cheering for Pospy and Bestor to get the first set! but…
Austria 2 – Portugal 1
Austria over Portugal in 5 sets — 3 hours and 45 minutes:
GE/JS POR v AUT AP/DT
Aces 7 8
Double Faults 3 7
1st Serve % 104/164(63%) 110/157(70%)
1st Serve Points Won 72/104(69%) 85/110(77%)
2nd Serve % 57/60(95%) 40/47(85%)
2nd Serve Points Won 29/57(50%) 27/40(67%)
Break Points Won 2/6(33%) 7/14(50%)
Total Points Won 146 175
and…
🙁 oh no Canada. Looked like they might get the 1st set. Can’t help but be missing Daniel Nestor right now; and Milos for tomorrow. Pospy putting up a good fight that 1st set. Gasquet and Tsonga needed almost an entire set to shake off the rust but have found their rhythm now leading 4-1, 2nd set.
Gasquet and Tsonga should be rested and tuned for IW; Monfils and Simon, too. Not terribly taxing this competition. Vasek Pospisil, on the other hand…
I would accept a doubles win as a moral victory considering the circumstances.
#BesterLessThanNestor
Bester not Bestor…sorry, hawk. Bester less than Nestor.
Shoot. Bp’s for France – 3 of ’em. 2. 1 left. come on Canada save it. Yesss. saved. Deuce. Vasek serving. Ad IN. Come on anything’s Pospisil. Yesss again. Canada 5-4 in the 3rd set.
France will serve to even it it up. Now’s a good time to break, Canada…
Gasquet is da man in this TB. 5-3 France. Pospy makes it 5-4. Tsonga serving. Too hot to handle for Bester. 6-4. Tsonga serving for the match and it’s and ace.
Ho hum…hawk.
France in trois.
Congrats to Moi.
#Hawkstradamus
Wow, that was some racket smash from Thiem! I think he outdid his buddy Gulbis! He put his heart and soul into that one! Great video.
Yep
Now that’s how you do it if you’re gonna do it.