As in 2016, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem will meet at the French Open. This time, however, the stakes are higher: it’s about a place in the semi-finals.
The cooperation between the German and Austrian journalists also works excellently again for the French open 2018. Information is exchanged, statistics are studied, even colleagues from both countries were seen together at lunch. Journalistic neutrality is of course the top priority – even if Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem are the two best players in the country to meet on Tuesday.
We asked how the match will go from the point of view of the local reporters.
I thought before the fourth round: If Zverev wins against Khachanov, then he ends up in the final – and that logically includes a victory against Thiem. Argument: The bigger the names on the other side, the harder its bite. But that, of course, depends on Zverev’s fitness after three five-set matches. If he misses a few percent, Thiem wins.
I bet on Thiem from my previous performances. Against Nishikori he played his two best sets so far in Paris, the rest was also strong. Zverev will, of course, be extremely motivated to go into his first Grand Slam quarter-final, but I say 65:35 Thiem.
Zverev surfs close to the wave of the abyss, but he rides her. He will play his best tennis in the tournament and has a slight mental advantage. It’s gonna be a four-set win for me.
Dominic Thiem will win the match because 1. He is the fitter player. Zverev had to go over five sets three times in a row – he is not unscathed by that. 2. he has more experience. This is the third quarter-final in a row for Thiem, Zverev is only in the last eight for the first time in his career. 3) The conditions in Paris are very different from Madrid, where Zverev won against Thiem in the final.
In game sports, I would assume a classic draw. Even if he says otherwise, the time spent on Alexander Zverev’s court must take revenge at some point. Three five-set hits in a row, that can’t pass a 21-year-old without a trace. Against Thiem, however, the motivation in the back of the head will be a different one than against the unknown guys in the previous rounds. Thiem is a name, he will be more concentrated than ever and win in four sets.
I’m betting on a five-set victory for Thiem – a Cordoba with meaning. In my opinion, the Austrian’s Grand Slam routine, his possibly larger and broader fitness base and the mentally less stressful course of the tournament so far speak for him. All in all, I think DT also has an advantage, because he now knows how to make impressive use of the best-of-5 mode and can certainly intimidate with his knowledge of his strength. But it’s also quite possible that in the end it’s just a matter of the Service Percentage for both of them and staying positive in a crisis or pushing themselves hard instead of weakening themselves with whining.
I dare not estimate how, even after this course at Zverev. Normally, i.e. if everything would be done with halfway right things, Thiem should have a clear advantage in terms of substance. If Zverev wants to win, he must do it as quickly as possible, in three sets. The longer it takes, wear and tear should (should) become noticeable with AZ.
Thiem’s advantage is that he already contests his third Manor quarter-final and, of course, he has spent less time on the pitch than Zverev.
In the matches so far, Zverev has not served as outstandingly as in the Madrid finals. Thiem should therefore have a chance of becoming dangerous to the German on his serve. Even if the conditions in Paris are different from those in the Spanish capital. Thiem is definitely fitter and playfully stronger than Zverev’s previous opponents at the moment. Of course, the latter also applies the other way round.