ATP: Dominic Thiem in Halle: “I want to make it into the decisive rounds”

Dominic Thiem laid the foundation for a successful season with a great sand court record: “That takes some pressure off me now,” he says before the tournament starts in Halle.

With a super balance on the beloved sand, he has laid the foundation for a successful 2018 tennis season. And now Dominic Thiem (ATP 7) also wants to cause a sensation at the grass events on the ATP World Tour – relaxed, relaxed, but still with the typical ambition that distinguishes him.

“I want to make the decisive rounds in Halle. Every match victory makes me happy,” said the 24-year-old Viennese on “Media Day”, before his start to the 26th edition of the tournament in Halle.

Thiem, who advanced to the French Open finals after outstanding performances and then lost to clay court king Rafael Nadal, will meet qualifier Mikhail Youzhny in the first round in Halle, Westphalia (Monday from 5.30 pm). Not an easy situation, says Thiem: “Because the boys will already have two victories in their pockets and will enter the main field with a tailwind.

Thiem enters the short, demanding turf series with the self-confidence of the now experienced professional player – even if the switch from sand to tennis greens seems “radical” to him: “Everything that has worked on sand is worthless on grass. Especially the footwork has to be completely changed. Slipping makes no sense,” says Austria’s ace.

The anticipation for the deployment in Halle is now “huge,” says Thiem, “simply because I don’t put myself under so much pressure. “I’m going quite freely in this task, and that can take you quite far.” Thiem also referred to Roger Federer’s renewed leap to the top of the world rankings: “It’s an impressive achievement, but you hardly have to congratulate him on it any more – as often as he has already been in front.

“He’s also the best grass player of all time.” To beat Federer, says Thiem, one needs a “dream day, a super performance” in Halle and elsewhere: “Everything, absolutely everything has to be right in one match”.

Thiem now places much greater demands on his Centre Court appearances: “Success must become ever greater for me to be satisfied,” he says, “one doesn’t want to tread water. Of course, when you’re at the top, it gets harder and harder.

The steps are getting smaller and more demanding.” However, this has to do with the generally high level of modern men’s tennis: “Density is madness”, explained the seventh in the world rankings, “weaknesses will no longer be forgiven you there. Thiem hopes that a guard change at the top of the tennis league is not far away: “It’s time that we youngsters win Grand Slam titles. “The change would do you good.”