“It might be the last event for some time with spectators,” says Dominic Thiem thanking fans for their presence in the stadium

“It might be the last event for some time with spectators,” says Dominic Thiem thanking fans for their presence in the stadium

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Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem has hit the ground running in his home tournament in Vienna as he defeated Cristian Garin in straight sets in the Erste Bank Open. The Austrian has previously stated of his emotional attachment with the Vienna Open and is looking forward to defend his crown this year.

Speaking after his 2nd round victory against Garin, Thiem applauded the fans who have come to the stadium in spite of the strict precautions but also acknowledged the fact that due to the rising coronavirus cases over the world, especially in Europe, it would be difficult for fans to be at the stadium for a while.

“It can of course happen that it might be the last event for some time with spectators, which is very sad,” Thiem said. “That’s why I try to enjoy every second.”

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Thiem grateful to fans who visit the stadium in spite of the strict precuations

Thiem thanked the fans for coming to the stadium

The Vienna Open has allowed up to 1000 fans to be present at the Stadthalle Arena every day. However, the numbers are not same for every tournament. The Astana Open which is currently on going in Kazakhstan is being played behind closed doors, which is the same case for the Paris Bercy Masters to be played next week, due to new guidelines issued by the French authorities because of rising coronavirus cases.

Dominic Thiem expressed his gratitude to fans who make their way to the stadiums in spite of the strict social distancing regulations. “One can only be very grateful for every single one who comes to the town hall. Of course, it is certainly not as nice an experience for the audience as in the other years when everything is normal. If you have to wear the mask all the time, have to sit, eat nothing, can’t drink anything. It’s really very special for us that people come anyway,” Thiem added.

The joy of winning a Grandslam or at home gets you through tough times: Dominic Thiem

Thiem will face Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Vienna Open

The US Open 2020 champion has been a part of many ups and downs in his career. He went through 3 heartbreaking final losses at Grandslam events before finally emerging victorious at Flushing Meadows. Thiem said that ups and downs are a part of a players’s career and one should not be beaten down by losses.

“Not everything is always super-great by a long shot. There are actually a lot of days, moments and weeks when everything goes wrong,” Thiem admitted. “When you win at home or when you achieve such big goals as at the US Open, the joy and satisfaction is so great that you just take on the difficult things. Of course there is a certain dullness there, I think it is the same with everyone.”

The Austrian will face Andrey Rublev in an intriguing quarterfinal clash at the Erste Bank Open on Friday. Thiem is on course to defend his title at home, and faces his biggest challenge so far in the form of Rublev, who can hardly put a foot wrong in the past 2 months.

Also Read: Nick Kyrgios: “Sometimes tennis is a sh*t sport”