“Was hoping for a double fault,” Dominic Thiem reveals what was going through his mind during the tense clash against Alexander Zverev at the U.S Open final
Follow Us
Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev
Austria’s Dominic Thiem created history when he lifted his maiden Grand Slam title at the U.S Open 2020. He ousted his close pal, Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the final round to do so. Further, Thiem became the first male player born in the 1990s to win a Major title.
Recently, the Austrian has opened up about the nerve-racking showdown against Sascha, where he rallied from two-sets-to-love down ultimately claim the title.
“It was an incredible rush”- Thiem
In an appearance on Sport & Talk, Dominic broke down his thought process during the final set tie-break in Flushing Meadows. “I was fully aware that only a few centimeters were going to make the difference between my biggest victory and my biggest defeat,” he said. Thiem proceeded to watch and comment on the playback of the concluding moments of his bout against Zverev.
Citing a tense moment which occurred at 5-6 in the final tie-breaker, the Austrian light-heartedly stated, “There, I was hoping for a double fault (from Alexander’s racquet).”
Zverev proceeded to tie the score at 6-6 and had an opportunity to gain a match point for himself. This forced Thiem to pour everything into the next shot. After a seven-shot long rally, the latter did manage to win the point with a forehand passing winner, allowing himself to earn a championship point.
On getting to 7-6, the Austrian added, “I just put everything into this point, because I knew how important it was. I really didn’t want to have to serve to save a match point next. Because I couldn’t put anything in my legs anymore.”
Along with Thiem, his adversary on the other end of the court was also struggling with his legs. Gathering every drop of power that he could, Dominic battled past the cramps to seal the next point, and with it, the U.S Open title.
“It was an incredible rush of joy and I tried to enjoy it. Sascha stumbled a bit on that point which was lucky for me,” Thiem continued.
Inspite of getting lucky after three losses at the final stage of Majors, Dominic took time to console his opponent. “During the handshake, it was important for me to comfort Sascha,” he concluded.
The duo of Zverev and Thiem will next be seen in action at the Australian Open 2021, which is scheduled to begin from 8 February.
Also Read: “Welcome Home!” Dominic Thiem is all smiles after finally receiving his U.S Open 2020 trophy
Stay Updated!
Chhavi Jindal
(404 Articles Published)