The younger generation has been knocking on the door–or more like the stone wall–of the Big 3 in recent seasons. Dominic Thiem appears to the one most likely to break through it.
Although Daniil Medvedev is the only 20-something to have come within one set of a Grand Slam title (2019 U.S. Open vs. Rafael Nadal), Thiem’s overall body of work is by far the best of that crowd. The fifth-ranked Austrian is the only one with multiple slam final appearances and he will play in his third on Sunday night in Melbourne. Thiem advanced with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(4) victory over Alexander Zverev on Friday, surviving a nervy, momentum-swinging match after three hours and 42 minutes.
Playing in his first major semifinal compared to Thiem’s fifth, Zverev earned plenty of chances. The seventh-ranked German had two break points to get back on serve in the 10th game of the second set and had two set points in the 10th game of the third set. All of those opportunities went by the wayside and in the end tiebreakers proved to be Zverev’s undoing.
Thiem is 5-0 in tiebreakers over the last two rounds, having upset Nadal 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(6) in the quarters.
“Maybe in one or two shots in the tiebreak in the fourth I was going for it,” the two-time Roland Garros runner-up explained. “(I) could have also missed them. I was brave but also lucky that I made these shots.”
“I had a lot of chances,” Zverev reflected. “I had 14 break points; that should be plenty. In the important moments, I didn’t play my best. He did. That’s where the match kind of went his way. We had a lot of tight moments; four tight sets. In the third set I had set points. In the fourth set I had chances. Just got to execute better next time.
“But credit to him. He’s playing unbelievable tennis right now.”
Thiem will have to play unbelievable tennis again on Sunday if he wants to lift his first Grand Slam winner’s trophy. On the other side of the net will be seven-time Australian Open champion and 16-time slam winner Novak Djokovic.
“I have been twice in the Roland Garros final, twice facing Rafa, and now I am facing Djokovic,” Thiem noted. “He is the ‘King of Australia,’ winning seven titles here. I will try my best and do everything I can to win. But if I walk off the court in two days’ time a loser, I will be patient and trust the process and continue to work hard.”
It’s a process that is becoming increasingly harder to trust for the younger generation.
But Thiem is perhaps the one exception.
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nice one, Thiem
I have to say, Thiem has the toughest draw, tougher than anyone else’s – having to beat no.10 Monfils in R4, no.1 Rafa in QF, no.5 Sasha in SF and then no.2 Djoko the defending champion in the final.
If he wins this slam, bravo to him, he has done it the hard way to win his first slam. Hope he can do it!