Dominic Thiem was eliminated in the second round of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Vienna: The Austrian number one was defeated by the Frenchman Richard Gasquet in three sets.
By Jens Huiber from Vienna
Dominic Thiem and Richard Gasquet managed the “Not before 7:00 p. m.” quite loosely, at exactly 9:11 p. m. Viennese time the two protagonists of the last round of sixteen at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in the Austrian capital entered the crowded Center Court. Thiem from the blue corner, a matter of course for the confessing Chelsea fan. A duel was to be expected, which above all on the backhand side met the highest aesthetic demands.
And this comparison went to Richard Gasquet after a night session that really deserved its name. 4:6,7:5 and 6:1 stood after 2:22 hours on the big scoreboard of the Wiener Stadthalle. To the regret of the 9,200 fans who gave the players a great atmosphere, not for Dominic Thiem.
Richard gasquet had won the only meeting of the two of them so far, in the hall of Basel almost exactly two years ago. At that time, the Frenchman had entered the game as the man with the considerably better ranking, and Thiem has since turned the tables in this respect. Gasquet started the match as a serve, looking for the way forward early on occasion – especially with attacking balls on the backhand of Thiem. Nevertheless, the local hero was the first to strike, and the break came 3-2.
Thiem then missed a 5-2 win, did not show any weakness in his own service – and still had to show nerves towards the end of the set, after Gasquet was able to fend off three set points en suite. Nevertheless: 6:4 after 47 minutes for Dominic Thiem after Gasquet had sunk a forehand into the net.
It’s time for the Frenchman, who should definitely play a role in Davis Cup boss Yannick Noah’s deliberations for the final against Belgium, to put on a new grip tape. No one shows a bigger championship than Richard Gasquet, who opened the second set with more safety and in the second game also with two break chances. Thiem fought back, but had to fight harder than his opponent for his service games. Also because the experienced player varied better, for example with stop balls, which interrupted the rhythm of Thiem again and again.
That Richard Gasquet won the deciding break to win the set in the twelfth game was also due to the high level of service that Thiem unpacked for his serve in particularly sensitive situations. Not so with the first set ball of Gasquet, where Thiem followed a second serve on the net, the half volley was buried in the same. 7:5 for the Frenchman after a total of 1:48 hours.
The decision brought a continuation of the scenery from passage two: Gasquet defended well, admitted little in his own service – and bribed as a backstroke by his patience and defensive arts. Thiem didn’t have any real chances after the early break to the 0:2. The last needle sting was the loss of impact at 1:5, after which Gasquet was out of order without any problems. As in the previous year, Thiem’s second appearance in Vienna was his last. Richard Gasquet will meet his fellow countryman Lucas Pouille in Friday’s third match of the day.
Here the single tableau in Vienna