Unbelievable but true: Austria’s tennis figurehead Dominic Thiem is competing at the Erste Bank Open in the Wiener Stadthalle for the 13th time.
On Tuesday (not before 5:30 p.m. on ServusTV and in the LIVE ticker) the 30-year-old from Lower Austria will face top Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The signs are good that Thiem’s 28th match in the Wiener Stadthalle will also provide some memorable moments.
Because there have been more than enough of them for local tennis fans over the past decade and a half.
Legendary generational duel against patterns
For example, who can’t remember the legendary generational duel in 2011, when the then 18-year-old Thiem was drawn as a wild card starter over, of all people, legend Thomas Muster, who was trying to make a remarkable comeback at the age of over 44?
The youngster clearly won in two sets 6:3, 6:2 in a full hall.
“The match against Thomas Muster was of course something very special. It was the first time in my career that I played in front of such a big crowd,” Thiem remembers the moment with a glint in his eyes.
“But the year before that was also something special. I played against Marsel Ilhan in the qualification for the first time against a top 100 player,” Thiem can still remember exactly his milestones on the way to the top in the world.
Initial relationship difficulties
In 2013, Thiem brought the then world number eight Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to the brink of defeat in the quarterfinals; he only had to admit defeat in the tiebreak of the third set.
As the expectations in Vienna grew as his soaring continued, Thiem was not always able to fulfill them in front of his home audience, at least for the next few years. A first-round defeat, two exits in the second round and then another quarter-final exit against Kei Nishikori were the highest feelings for the time being.
“Of course it was a bit difficult in the beginning in my relationship with the Stadthalle. I then lost early four times in a row,” says Thiem, looking back.
“One of my most important career titles”
In 2019 the time had finally come: After victories over Tsonga, Verdasco, Carreno Busta, Berrettini and Schwartzman, the Lichtenwörther native won the tournament at the Erste Bank Open for the first time!
“That was one of my most important career titles – and it will always be,” explains the 17-time title holder on the ATP tour.
Since this success, Thiem has been able to appear much more freely in the Wiener Stadthalle. “There was always a lot of nervousness in the first few years,” said Thiem, who sometimes felt a bit “inhibited” by this.
These tennis stars are coming to the Wiener Stadthalle
But this is different now. “In the last few years I only see it as positive energy, which is incredibly helpful for me. Especially since I won the tournament once.”
This fundamental increase in performance does not only apply to Vienna. While Thiem was often unable to deliver his top performance in his first years on tour on Austrian soil, things have changed now. He most recently proved this in the summer when he reached his first ATP final in Kitzbühel since his comeback after his serious wrist injury.
“I’ve always played the home tournaments well in recent years. I hope that, like in Kitzbühel, I’ll be able to take advantage of the atmosphere and energy from the audience again.”
Tennis crime against Tommy Paul
Thiem succeeded last year: Back then, he brought the American Tommy Paul to his knees in a memorable game 2:6, 7:6, 7:6. Only then was the final stop against eventual tournament winner Daniil Medvedev. “Last year was really special, the win after a really long game against Tommy Paul. Those are exactly the moments and games that I will remember.”
“All the matches in Vienna, where the hall is really full and the energy is palpable. You don’t have such performances at home often. That will have a positive influence on my performance against Tsitsipas this time too,” hopes Thiem.
Close matches against Tsitsipas
In the head-to-head against the Greeks it is now 5:5. Thiem only lost the last two duels this season at the ATP 1000 tournament in Madrid and in the first round of Wimbledon in the tiebreaks of the third and fifth sets respectively.
“The conditions are similar to those in Madrid and Wimbledon. He is certainly the favorite, but if I perform well, I definitely have my chances,” says Thiem confidently.
“We have played against each other many times. And it was almost always very close decisions,” says the Lower Austrian, preparing for a tennis thriller.
After all, it is even more likely, especially in the hall, that individual points will make the difference in the end.
“It’s very fast in the hall. If both players perform well, it’s very likely that it will be very close.”
And then it may well be that little things make the difference in the end. Like the home crowd, for example.
2023-10-23 20:32:41
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