Dominic Thiem is into the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open after a titanic fight with Borna Coric who served for the match in the second set. In the end the Austrian fought his way through 2-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 in two hours and 25 minutes.
Dominic Thiem and Borna Coric (zimbio.com)
This time last year the pair met in the quarterfinals and Thiem came through comfortably 6-1 6-4, this time it was a totally different story, with the 24 year old Austrian, seeded 5, having to produce some of his very best tennis to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Having taken the first set easily with two breaks of the Austrian’s serve, the 21 year old Coric, ranked 35, broke in the ninth game of the second set and served for the match. However, Thiem was far from done. The Croat found himself two break points down, and although he saved the first with an ace out wide, he dropped his serve in the next point with a forced error on the forehand wing.
A few minutes later with games going with serve, Thiem took control of the tiebreak from the start and quickly found himself 6-1 up with 5 consecutive set points. Coric bravely fought his way back to 6-5, but the Austrian clinched the set on the 5th set point with a sublime forehand approach winner that was greeted by rapturous applause from the fans crammed inside the inadequately small court 3. This match was truly worthy of the stadium court, and many fans were unable to get access with long queues outside.
The quality of the tennis increased to a crescendo as the match reached the business end of the final set, with both men refusing to concede an inch. Thiem fought off three break points in the eighth game, the first two with his signature one handed backhand drive which was a clean winner on both occasions up the line. In the next game he took advance of his opportunities as Coric struggled to overcome the disappointment of not breaking in the previous game. When a perfectly executed Thiem lob found the baseline, Coric mishit his backhand wide.
Thiem served out the match to love, and in the next round a certain Rafael Nadal will almost certainly be waiting with baited breath.
“It feels like a great victory. I didn’t play the way I wanted or had prepared for”, Thiem said. “In the first set he played really good and I couldn’t counter at all, and the first set was gone pretty quickly. Then I was almost out of the match, out of the tournament at 4-5 in the second set. From this moment onward I picked up my game and from there on it became a very good match I think. It was a little bit similar to yesterday in the close moments. In the third set I played my best tennis even though I could easily lose the match as well. But luckily I didn’t and I’m happy because it’s a great win for me. He’s in terrific form, he played two amazing matches here and also previously in the year he was playing very well, so I think it’s worth a lot this victory today.”
Thiem was not bothered by the dubious scheduling that saw such a quality encounter relegated to such a small court.
“I really love to play in smaller stadiums. For me it’s nicer to play in a stadium with 2500 rather than 20,000 stadium with only 7,000 sitting inside. The atmosphere was really nice and really loud, so for me it was fine the scheduling. And tomorrow I will have a full 20,000 stadium”, he said laughing in anticipation of Nadal.
“It’s the biggest challenge in tennis right now”, he said regarding the prospect of facing the King of Clay. “it’s really, really tough, but I am going into the match to win even though it’s not very realistic with the way he plays now and the way I play now. But I’m not going out there to make a good show and go home, I’m trying to win and I’m trying to find a way to do that. But, of course, I know how tough it’s going to be.”
So what would it take to beat Nadal on clay?
“Last year was a little bit different. I lost to him easily in Barcelona and here I was close to him; was a really good match in the final. And then in Rome I was able to play 100% the way it takes to beat him. Was one of the best matches of my life and to win against him tomorrow if I play him, then it requires the same and play one of the best matches of my life. I have to play very aggressively with not many mistakes, but it doesn’t look like I can win with the way he is right now. Was way more realistic last year, but anything can happen in tennis. Tomorrow is a new day and that’s what I’m trying of course.”
