Fourth seed Dominic Thiem has made his first ever Barcelona Open final after stunning world No.1 Andy Murray 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
The 23-year-old entered the semifinal as the underdog according to statistics. Twice he fell victim to Murray on the ATP Tour and his record against No.1 players was 0-4. Nevertheless, his comfort on the clay was far greater than that of Murray, who got off to a slow start. This was illustrated with Thiem’s winner count of 41, more than twice his rivals tally of 19.
“He’s the No. 1 in the world, so you have to find something in between playing aggressive and not making mistakes,” Thiem said. “I was the luckiest in the end.”
A sluggish start to the match by Murray cost him dearly against a player of Thiem’s ability. Capitalising on an error-stricken opening game by the world No.1, an array winners secured Thiem’s lead in the match. Continuing to apply the pressure, the Austrian secured the double break after a forehand shot from Murray drifted beyond the baseline. Admirably the lacklustre top seed retrieved one of those breaks, but the damage was already inflicted.
Point over? Nope.
A RIDICULOUS winner from Thiem…🔥🔥🔥#bcnopenbs pic.twitter.com/RyrnBIUIKi
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) 29 April 2017
Ironically, Thiem sealed the opening set thanks to the sportsmanship of Murray. Confusion erupted when a shot from the Austrian landed on the baseline, but Murray assumed it was out. Amid the uncertainty, the umpire ruled for the point to be replayed. However, Murray gave the point to his opponent and therefore the set. Despite the goodwill gesture, it did little to overshadow Thiem’s start to the match. After eight games the Austrian produced a winner-error ration of 8-8 compared to Murray’s tally of 2-13.
Thiem’s relentless display continued into the second set, which was matched by a series of drop shots from Murray. Twice the world No.9 had a chance to strengthen his lead, but fell short against a gradually improving Murray. The inability resulted in a turning point in the match. Back-to-back unforced errors from Thiem rewarded Murray the break and eventually the second set.
With a place in the final lurking, the decider saw both men struggle under pressure. Thiem’s chances of reaching his maiden Barcelona final appeared over as he trailed 2-4 before fighting back with the use of his heavy shot-making. The closeness between the two remained until the very end. As Murray served to stay in the match, a tentative forehand at the net went out to hand Thiem match point No.1. The Austrian then triumphed with the help of a lob that the Wimbledon champion failed to return within the court.
Thiem will now play in his 12th final on the ATP Tour. Seeking his second title of the season, he will play either Rafael Nadal or Horacio Zeballos.
“Honestly,” Thiem said, “everyone knows who I’d rather play tomorrow. It will be a great experience and if I won the final, beating Murray and Rafa in two matches in a row that would be fantastic.”
Murray stays positive
Despite failing to reach the Barcelona Final, top seed Murray is keeping a positive mindset about his performance. Accepting a wildcard into the tournament, he defeated Feliciano Lopez and got revenge against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who he lost to in Monte Carlo last week.
“I got three matches in three days against all different players. Feli uses a lot of slice and variation, Ramos yesterday is a lefty and today against Dominic, who plays with the kick serve and so much spin. To play two hours today after three yesterday, will be good for me.” Murray said following his loss.
Murray’s next test occurs in less than two weeks time at the Madrid Open. Last year he was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the Masters 1000 event.
