Tennis: Thiem breaks off “Kooyong Classic” prematurely

Dominic Thiem has dropped out of the invitation tournament “Kooyong Classic” in Melbourne, Australia. The 24-year-old from Lower Austria, the current number 5 in the world, did not compete against the Frenchman Lucas Pouille on Thursday.

The reason for the cancellation of participation is probably a viral disease that has not yet completely cured, as reported by the Reuters news agency. Last week, Thiem had to pass for the semi-final in Doha because of a feverish cold. Yesterday, Wednesday (local time) he then lost his opening match in Melbourne against 12 times major winner Novak Djokovic from Serbia after a six-month break.

The tournament in Melbourne should be Thiem’s last test before the Australian Open.