Dominic Thiem says he is currently playing pain-free after booking his place in the second round of the Estoril Open on Monday.
The former US Open champion beat Germany’s Maximilian Marterer 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, to claim his first main draw victory on the ATP Tour since November. Thiem is playing in his first clay court tournament since the Kitzhbuel Open last summer where he reached the final.
Coming into this week, the Austrian revealed that “minor inflammation” had resurfaced in his wrist during a video posted on his social media account. Thiem suffered a significant wrist injury in June 2021 and ended up missing nine months of the Tour. He has been ranked outside the world’s top 20 since he returned.
However, he has eased concerns about his latest issue following his latest match. Speaking to reporters, the former world No.3 believes things are moving in the right direction.
“I have no pain. I put intensity in the last few weeks of training to be ready for this tournament. It’s a day-to-day thing. I have my physiotherapist here, he has been working hard every day. Now I have a day off tomorrow, that helps. I should be ready for Wednesday,” Portugease website Bola Amarela quoted Thiem as saying.
Currently ranked 91st in the world, the 30-year-old admits that he is no longer trying to match the level of tennis he played at his peak. Instead, his focus is living in the moment.
“It’s a different galaxy. It’s a little bit of everything different. I had more power at the time and much more confidence. I was probably playing the game better. I had much more fluid tennis, there are many differences, but I stopped comparing myself at that time, there is no reason for that. I try to do the best with the situation I live in now,” he commented.
“I’m in a situation where I have to do the best I can. There’s no point comparing it to who I was in 2019 or 2020. It’s pointless. I’m trying to do the best I can. Today was an excellent victory and I will try to do similar on Wednesday.”
Thiem will next play Richard Gasquet who won the tournament back in 2015. He is two wins away from claiming a 350th victory on the Tour.
