4:49 hours and until 2:03 a.m. New York time Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem fought for a place in the semi-finals of the US Open. In the end, the top-seededed Spaniard had a wafer-thin lead at 0:6, 6:4, 7:5, 6:7 (4:7) and 7:6 (7:5). But everyone agreed that the match in the heat of the night did not deserve a loser.
A comment by Jens Huiber from New York/City
Historical comparisons are always difficult to make, even if only the match history of a single player is examined. Opponent, surface, external circumstances, also the relevance of the game play a role, somehow everything is always different.
Nevertheless, the match Dominic Thiem played against Rafael Nadal late into the night from Tuesday to Wednesday at the National Tennis Center in New York was the best in the still young career of the now 25-year-old Lichtenwörther. By far.
The intensity, the concentration, the physical presence that Thiem showed against the world number one over 4:49 hours of play required respect from all observers. Not only the spectators, but also the US tennis experts. And, of course, Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, who is one of the greatest competitors of all time. Independent of disciplines, as Thiems Coach Günter Bresnik stated in an interview with the American journalist Christopher Clarey a few months ago.
Nadal offered Thiem possibilities again and again after the first set, which the Austrian had played as if from another planet, and also made a few careless mistakes. But in the tie-break of the fifth set, he was just there, and in general, he was always on the offensive in his decision. That paid off – even though Thiem put the match ball out without ornament with a smash.
Thiem, on the other hand, not only continued his performance against Kevin Anderson seamlessly, he even surpassed it. Of course it hurts insanely that there is a defeat in the end. Finally, Dominic Thiem also has several outstanding accounts with Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentinean will challenge Nadal on Friday, and in 2009 they had already faced each other in the semi-finals of the US Open.
Dominic Thiem will now travel to Graz for the Davis Cup. He will rest for a few days, and of course he will remember the match forever, in this very special atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
360 points takes Thiem from New York. After a suboptimal summer, he could use it for a possible third appearance at the ATP final in London. In the coming weeks Thiem has hardly any points to defend. And he took one realization with him anyway: That he can play with the greatest of them all the way to the end.
Dominic Thiem’s performance against Rafael Nadal in the epic five-set defeat against Rafael Nadal was probably the best of his career so far.