Dominic Thiem became the highest ranked ATP star to crash out of Wimbledon thus far, after Sam Querrey claimed another highly-seeded opponent at the All England Club.
The American famously took out the world No. 1 in back-to-back years, downing Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in 2016 and 2017, and this time dislodged the fifth seed.
World No. 4 Thiem was in terrific form on the clay, beating Djokovic in a five-set thriller in the French Open semi-finals before eventually falling to Rafael Nadal at the final hurdle, but didnt get a single competitive match under his belt on the grass prior to Wimbledon.
Across two years, Thiem – who lost to Nadal in the 2018 French Open final, too – has played just four matches on the surface and he confessed he has struggled to find the right balance in the fast transition from the crushed brick at Roland Garros to the lawns of the All England Club.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Yeah, theres still things which are not easy, the 25-year-old said. I mean, last year and this year together I played four grass court matches, which is not a lot at all.
I mean, all the clay court season it takes a lot out of me. I gave everything what I had physically and also mentally in all these six weeks until the end of the French Open.
Then I had to take the decision to come here without any preparation. Of course, its very tough to face Querrey, who loves grass, to face him in the first official grass court match for me of the year.
Its a lot of experience also. Ill see how I do it next year. I mean, I like to play on grass. Of course, I would love to do better here especially than I did the previous like last year and this year. With playing that deep in the French Open, its a tricky situation.
Thiem brushed off suggestions he wasnt mentally ready forRead More – Source
Dominic Thiem became the highest ranked ATP star to crash out of Wimbledon thus far, after Sam Querrey claimed another highly-seeded opponent at the All England Club.
The American famously took out the world No. 1 in back-to-back years, downing Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in 2016 and 2017, and this time dislodged the fifth seed.
World No. 4 Thiem was in terrific form on the clay, beating Djokovic in a five-set thriller in the French Open semi-finals before eventually falling to Rafael Nadal at the final hurdle, but didnt get a single competitive match under his belt on the grass prior to Wimbledon.
Across two years, Thiem – who lost to Nadal in the 2018 French Open final, too – has played just four matches on the surface and he confessed he has struggled to find the right balance in the fast transition from the crushed brick at Roland Garros to the lawns of the All England Club.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Yeah, theres still things which are not easy, the 25-year-old said. I mean, last year and this year together I played four grass court matches, which is not a lot at all.
I mean, all the clay court season it takes a lot out of me. I gave everything what I had physically and also mentally in all these six weeks until the end of the French Open.
Then I had to take the decision to come here without any preparation. Of course, its very tough to face Querrey, who loves grass, to face him in the first official grass court match for me of the year.
Its a lot of experience also. Ill see how I do it next year. I mean, I like to play on grass. Of course, I would love to do better here especially than I did the previous like last year and this year. With playing that deep in the French Open, its a tricky situation.
Thiem brushed off suggestions he wasnt mentally ready forRead More – Source
