Dominic Thiem is through to the fourth round of the Australian Open after battling back from two sets down to edge out Nick Kyrgios in an epic encounter.
The world No.3 looked to be on the verge of a shock exit from Melbourne Park before battling back to prevail 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, win after more than three hours of pulsating play. The showdown was reminiscent of a Davis Cup tie with cheers erupting around the John Cain Arena throughout the clash in what was one of the last matches to be played in front of fans before a five-day lockdown is implemented.
Thiem looked to be down an out early on as he struggled to find rhythm in his shot-making during the first two sets and even faced break points in the third. Despite some impressive tennis being produced by showman Kyrgios, it still was enough to tame the US Open champion who battled back with the help of some emphatic serving. Between the third and fifth set Thiem won 62 out of 72 points behind his serve.
“I was already dealing with the loss, you know, it was first of all [my] first match against Nick on his favourite court, with an amazing crowd … there are easier things to do [laughs],” Thiem said during his on-court interview.
“That’s for sure one of the toughest challenges we have in our sport, you never know what’s coming, he is a huge player when he is on fire like today. Honestly, I was dealing with the loss already but then somehow I was fighting myself into the match … since the US Open, I know that impossible is nothing.”
The night-time showdown showed Kyrgios at his best at times with the Australian producing a series of underarm serves and tweener shots to delight the crowd. However, it was slight mental lapses in his concentration that prove costly for him. One of which being an easy volley he missed during the fourth set in a game where he eventually got broken.
It is the fourth time in his career that Thiem has come back from two sets down to win. The most memorable of those matches being against Alexander Zverev in the final of the US Open last year. Thiem says that encounter helped inspire him during his latest clash.
“Giving up is never an option. There is always a chance. I was so close to losing it. If he breaks me in the first match of the third, the match is over. But I was fighting still, and with the break in the third, I realised maybe there was a chance to turn it around,” he explained.
“I got more used to the court, and to his game, and to the great atmosphere, and the longer the match got, the more comfortable I felt.”
The 27-year-old will play Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round on Sunday. He trails their head-to-head 2-3 and lost their most recent matches at the 2019 ATP Finals. However, Thiem will still go into the match as the favourite.
“Unfortunately the next match will be empty, and I think everybody is really sad about it, but tonight was epic, a good last match before the lockdown.” Thiem concluded.
