ATP: Vienna: Dominic Thiem after strong performance in quarter finals

Dominic Thiem has reached the quarter-finals of the ATP-500 tournament in Vienna. The Austrian showed an impressive performance against his American opponent Sam Querrey in the 6:4 and 6:4 success over long distances.Nikolaus Fink reports live from the Vienna Stadthalle

Thiem had expressly warned against the strong Querrey before the game: “He is a very good indoor player and lives from his serve. At the return he risks a lot, which of course can work out for him partially. Then it’ll be hard on him.” In the first round, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had felt the effects of Tsonga, while Thiem, on his part, had much more trouble than expected with Ruben Bemelmans in his 7-5 and 7-6 (5) success.

Especially with his return the Lichtenwörther against the Belgian was not satisfied at all. Against the 1.98 meter giant Querrey an improved setback was mandatory to get close to a break. And Thiem implemented from the beginning what he had planned after his first round meeting.

The 25-year-old was able to earn his first break chance in the US boy’s second service game – thanks to a backhand error by Querrey, he was able to use it immediately. The splendidly filled Vienna Stadthalle trembled for the first time.

Especially on his own serve Thiem didn’t let anything burn at all. Although the first serve’s percentage in the middle of the first set was less than 50 per cent, Querrey could not do anything at all in his return games. Especially with his forehand, the top-seeded local hero caused the 31-year-old a big headache.

However, just as Thiem was serving to win the set at 5-4, the seventh in the world rankings wobbled for the first time. With a double mistake he helped Querrey to 0:30. But the Austrian did not allow himself to be put off by this and used his second set point with a backhand winner to the sovereign 6:4.

Thiem was the dominant player on the court and continued his good performance at the beginning of the second set. As in the first run, the Lower Austrian attacked the serve of his opponent, who was six years his senior, at 1:1.

And again Thiem was able to relieve him of the service. With the third break opportunity, he took the lead early in set two and set the course for the quarter-finals. The local hero delighted the fans at that time with crashing serves, strong basic strokes and spectacular point wins on the net.

But Querrey did not want to surrender without a fight and prevented another break to 4:1 for Thiem. The missed breakchance seemed to have some effect on the French Open finalist: With two double faults, he gave the 56th in the ATP World Ranking a break point, which he defended with a strong second serve.

Six points and two more break chances later Thiem had managed to get his service through. Puffing for the frenetic audience in the Stadthalle. And then the top seed not only showed his sporting class: he revised the exclamation of a linesman and gave Querrey the point. Big tennis!

After the short urge phase of the American, Thiem then controlled the events again. With good serves Querrey forced the Local Hero to leave the field at 5:4. And Thiem passed this test with flying colours: He managed to break his serve to zero and thus fixed a highly anticipated duel with the Japanese Kei Nishikori. “I’m really looking forward to it,” Thiem said shortly after the game.

The single tableau in Vienna