There was high quality tennis throughout the group stage match played in an empty O2 Arena due to coronavirus, as the Austrian world number three won in two hours and 25 minutes.
Both men came into this match having won their first of the tournament, Nadal having defeated Andrey Rublev. That was after Thiem kicked off the event on Sunday with a repeat of last year’s final against defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. Thiem came out on top this time and made it 2/2 so far against Nadal.
Thiem’s Tiebreak Fight Back
The first set went to a tiebreak after all games went to the server, in a high quality first set.
Thiem found himself 5-2 down but he managed to fight back to 5-5. The Austrian then hit his first double fault of the match to give Nadal a set point. Nadal hit an unforced error off the backhand to miss this chance.
Thiem would save a second set point at 7-6 down, this time with a forehand winner. He then got his first set point opportunity that he successfully converted with a crushing forehand winner to take the tiebreak 9-7 and give him a set lead.
Game, Set & Match
The standard of tennis would continue to get better in the second set. Nadal broke at 3-3 but Thiem broke the Spaniard’s serve straight back with both players hitting unbelievable shots.
At 5-4, on the Nadal serve, Thiem had three match points in a row all saved by Nadal, as the second set would go to another tiebreak.
Dominic Thiem won this tiebreak as well, 7-4, as Nadal hit wide on match point to clinch victory after a magnificent performance.
Post Match Reactions
In his post match interview on court Dominic Thiem said, “it was definitely one of the best matches I have played in my career. We both played great tennis.”
Speaking on the BBC, former semi finalist Tim Henman said, it was “one of the best matches we’ve had in all the 12 years here.”
With Nadal not out the competition yet, former British number one Andrew Castle also said, “that could be the final“ on Sunday.
Up Next
In the last group stage matches, Thiem will play Rublev, although he may already be through to the semi finals before the start of that one and Nadal will face Tsistipas.
Doubles
Earlier in the doubles match during the afternoon session, German pairing Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies defeated Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-2 7-6.
Krawietz and Mies, who are the two-time Roland Garros champions, are aiming to qualify for a ATP Finals semi final for the first time after making their debut at the event last year. They narrowly lost their first match this year to Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in a deciding tiebreak.
