ATP: Verdasco as final examination for Thiem

With Fernando Verdasco, Dominic Thiem faces an opponent in the last eight in Rio de Janeiro, who is always blossoming in the role of outsider.

No, Günter Bresnik does not want to be enchanted by forecasts. Only one more thing: Fernando Verdasco is a very difficult opponent for his protégé Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro. And, above all, a man who is always on the rise against players from the front rows of the world rankings.

Alexander Zverev, for example, can testify about this: The German had come to Roland Garros in 2017 as the winner of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, but was lost there against Verdasco. Even if the conditions are clearly different from those in Foro Italico.

Verdasco is currently ranked 40th in the ATP charts, and in 2009 it achieved its best ranking of seventh place. The 34-year-old no longer plays every week for the tournament victory, but he knows how to take advantage of good opportunities: last year, the seven-time tournament winner reached the final of the Dubai Tournament, where he lost to Andy Murray.

Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, has just won an event, the Argentina Open, where the quarter-finals could have been a match with Fernando Verdasco. Guido Pella had sporty objections against it.

After a week without losing a set, there would of course be very little to complain about, so Günter Bresnik explains to tennisnet. Nevertheless, if you compare Dominic Thiem’s training performances with those in the match, you know that the Austrian number one still has room for improvement. If he wants to be very critical, then this one match is missing, which Thiem dominantly plays through from beginning to end, says Bresnik. On the other hand, Thiem had shown himself to be physically extremely strong, even after his trip to Rio de Janeiro, where he finally had Dusan Lajovic under control in round one. And yet could feel the hardship of Buenos Aires.

The balance against Verdasco is also 2-0: After a defeat in Wimbledon in 2015, Thiem lost the second meeting last autumn in Paris-Bércy. The good news, however, is that Thiem started the year 2018 against Guido Pella with the same prerequisites, and the Argentineans are now 2-2.

Regardless of the outcome of the tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Dominic Thiem’s schedule is set for the coming weeks:”Even if another triumph in the Brazilian metropolis happens, Dominic will still be in Acapulco next week and will not take a break, Bresnik said. The subsequent ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami are mandatory anyway.

In Florida, Günter Bresnik will be back in Florida with Dominic Thiem – and he will have to make a decision there – after all, the Davis Cup away game in Russia is due to take place at the beginning of April. Even if the Davis Cup were to take place in Austria and on sand, the decision would only be made two weeks before then,”said Bresnik.