Dominic Thiem was the second Austrian after Thomas Muster to make it into the final of a Grand Slam tournament in 1995. A review of the path of the two exceptional players to the big showdown.
By Jens Huiber from Paris
Dominic Thiem does not believe in comparisons with Thomas Muster. The only Austrian Grand Slam champion to date has had a legendary career, his own, says Thiem, is on the right track. Muster reported to Alex Stober with encouraging words, one sees himself once a year in the Vienna Stadthalle, that’s all it is. Doesn’t have to be.
Whereby: On Saturday there was a rumour that Muster would play the final against Rafael Nadal personally in the tribune of the Court Philippe Chatrier, quite persistently. Let’s have a look.
Nevertheless, we want to look at the paths of the two players who brought them into the final of the French Open. Thomas Muster 23 years ago, Dominic Thiem on Friday.
Thomas Muster began his 1995 campaign with an unspectacular, never-ending success against Gerard Solves, a player to the Styrian’s taste: solid from the baseline, but without the punch to endanger patterns.
Thiem has opened against Ilya Ivashka, not a harmless opponent. Thiem had already defeated the Belarusian in the Davis Cup in St. Pölten, but after a short slack in the second set on Court 1, the Lower Austrian is sure to enter the next round.
Difficult task in the second match, in theory: Muster got it to do with Cedric Pioline, a local hero. Competent on all surfaces, Pioline once made it to the final of Wimbledon. He can’t do anything against patterns.
Stefanos Tsitsipas against Dominic Thiem already more. Like the violin, the Greek has an excellent one-handed backhand, which forces Thiem to a very concentrated performance on court 18. First set loss for Thiem.
Carlos Costa will also compete at the French Open in 2018. As manager of Rafael Nadal, though. 1995 the non-typical Spaniard can’t stop Muster, the Austrian wins in three.
Matteo Berrettini is Dominic Thiem’s first Italian experience in Roland Garros in 2018, back in the bullring, Thiem delivers a set but never risks losing the match.
The then still Soviet bear Andrei Medvedev only manages six games against patterns. Medvedev should have won the final against Andre Agassi four years later, but the American won the title in 1999.
Thiem plays against Kei Nishikori for two sets as if from another star, but in the end he mainly needs nerves of steel to enter the final eight. He was more nervous in the final phase of this match than in his semi-final, Thiem will say later.
The key match for Thomas Muster: Albert Costa defends himself over five sets, it is only a few balls and tight decisions that make the difference in favour of the left-hander.
Thiem has to deal with an Alexander Zverev, who is marked by the efforts of the course of the tournament. The Austrian remains focused, learning from his mistakes in 2017 when he allowed Juan Martin del Potro, who was initially struck, to return to the match.
After the Costa match, Muster is back in Beast fashion. Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who a year later was to succeed the Styrian as title holder in Roland Garros, is not even close to winning a set.
Marco Cecchinato versus Dominic Thiem did. Especially the tiebreak in the second act turns into a drama, Thiem finally wins with 12:10. The third sentence is a formality.
Michael Chang may have already won in Paris, but Thomas Muster signals to the American very early on: “Today there will be no Da Capo. Chang tries his hand at the offensive, Muster has an answer for everything.
Thiem 2018 also has points of contact with Chang: Firstly, because the 1989 champion is in Kei Nishikori’s box. But also because Changvor Thiem’s final training on Saturday with Henri Leconte played on Court 3 as part of a Legends Double.
Here are the matches of Thomas Muster at the French Open 1995
Here are Dominic Thiem’s matches at the French Open 2018