H2H :- 9-4 nadal.
Last meeting :- 2019 RG final Nad. Def Thiem 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1
Last(and only) HC meeting :- 2018 USO QF Nad def. Thiem 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 7-6
What do you think about this match?
Discuss.
Vote in the poll.
Stay tuned, stay connected, Love tennis.
[Edit on 29th Jan 3:30 pm IST]
(Now I'll try and add set summaries to important matches if I'd be watching them)
1st set 7-6(3) Thiem
Set summary:-
Nadal should have capitalised early in the set when thiem wasn't getting a read on his serve, made some errors at 3-4 to have rafa serve for the set at 5-3 40-30.
Other than that, Thiem was bullying rafa from the baseline. Most of the longer rallies going to the Austrian. Both players playing from behind the baseline like clay court. Nadal needs to stop that, he has to rush Thiem, shorten the points. Because at the moment, thiem is the better mover and more powerful ballstriker.
Set no. 2 Thiem 7-6 (4)
Set summary :-
A slight drop from the high levels shown in the first set by Thiem. In the early stages, he's still struggling to have a read on nadal's serve, especially the wide serves to his BH and FH. Nadal ups his level considerably in terms of ballstriking. After a couple of holds on each sides, 2 double faults from Thiem and 2 excellent FH & BH passing shots from Nadal give Rafa the upper hand, as he breaks and then holds to take the lead 4-2 with thiem serving next game. After another loose BH error at the start of 7th game, Thiem composes himself again and holds to 3-4. In the next service game, after an excellent get by Thiem on a powerful inside out FH from Rafa gets him to 0-30 & then 0-40 on rafa serve; Nadal saves first b.p. by great Serve+FH combo, but gets tense and double faults to give the break back to Thiem. Starting from this game onwards, Thiem has an excellent read on the rafa serve till the end of the set. After 2 more holds from each side, with a set point brilliantly saved by rafa in the 12th game at 5-6 30-40 by FH DTL cracker; the set goes to the tiebreaker with a slight edge to rafa this time in terms of momentum. In the tiebreaker, Thiem strikes early to take a 4-0 lead over rafa, only to make 3 unforced errors and some clutch by rafa to level it at 4-4. With some heavy inside out FHs, Thiem gets to 5-4 with 2 nadal service points coming, but then the Spaniard hits an unnecessary dropper to which thiem sets himself up 2 set points @ 6-4. On the first set point, thiem's return hits the net cord and drops early, to which nadal can't do anything but drop an easy sitter volley to thiem, the Austrian hits an easy inside out FH pass, apologizes straight away and takes the set in a second consecutive tiebreaker by 7 points to 4. Nadal now trails by 2 sets to zero. Can the Spaniard come back from here to demonstrate his fighting spirits once again, for which he's well known in the tennis world? Big question indeed, as we move into the 3rd set with thiem still having problems reading the Rafa serve.
3rd set Rafa 6-4
Set Summary :- Considerable drop off in the hitting quality and accuracy by Thiem from the 2nd set. Rafa - about the same imo. Set starts with Rafa holding his serve easily as Thiem looks even more clueless on the return. Though in the long rallies, thiem still prevails most of the time. Still some easy holds by nadal. In 3rd service game, thiem shows incredible defense as he soaks everything nadal throws at him multiple times to hold his serve. Neither player is able to get a look on each other's serve though. Nadal comes up with an astonishing quick hold in between. Nothing unusual from the first 2 sets in terms of rallying, apart from rafa pressing a bit more on the FH DTL & BH CC. After 8 consecutive holds with no break point for either man, Rafa holds at 4-4 from 0-15 to go up 5-4. Thiem makes some unforced errors and nadal suddenly gets 2 break+set points on 5-4 40-15 thiem serve. 1st set point is saved by Thiem by an excellent serve. On the 2nd set point, rafa wrong foots thiem in the rally, the Austrian nets a BH and boom... Set nadal. With a momentum shift seemingly on the horizon now as we move to the 4th set of this contest. Meanwhile in the 4th set thiem's making unforced errors at a higher rate than first 3 sets as I'm watching it. Can rafa take advantage of Thiem's dip even more? Will he take this to a decider. All answers will unfold in front of us.
4th set :- 7-6 (6) Thiem.
Set Summary :-
As dramatic as it can get. Probably the most dramatic set of this match, though the tennis quality was at its poorest compared to the high standards of this match; but not unexpected as both players had already exhausted each other incredibly throughout the first 3 sets. This 4th set starts with nadal serving first, having claimed the 3rd set 6-4 by breaking the thiem serve at the tail end of the set. As nadal has the momentum, he is confident in his game and holds serve in the 1st game relatively easily. In the 2nd game, thiem makes some unforced errors to go down 15-40 and then 40-ad on his serve; he saves all 3 of those break points with incredible tennis in which was probably the 2nd most important service hold of this match (1st one was in 1st set 5-3 rafa but he blew it). Thiem wasn't getting a good read on rafa serve and if he'd been broken, I think rafa would've crushed the Austrian's soul in 5 sets. Nevertheless, thiem holds and levels the score at 1-1. In the next game, due to some unforced errors by nadal and ultra-level ball hammering by thiem at the right moments, the Austrian gets the break and takes 2-1 lead. From then onwards, a couple of easy holds for Dominic follow the course as nadal is getting bullied by his rival's power. At 4-2, nadal is down 0-30 on his serve and plays 4 extremely clutch points to stay alive in the match & keep the Austrian at just 1 break's lead. In the next game, thiem holds his serve to go 5-3, quickly followed by nadal at 5-4 and the Spaniard now asks the Austrian to hold his nerve and serve to close out the set and match. Thiem gets tight, leaks some weird unforced errors and Nadal breaks back to level the score at 5-5. From then, the tension is visible on court and surprisingly, a couple of easy holds follow to take this match into its 3rd tiebreaker (1st and 2nd were TBs too). In the breaker, Thiem immediately goes up a mini break due to stunning passing shots, but then leaks errors and give rafa the mini break back and a 2-1 advantage with a mini break. Though the Austrian gathers his composure quickly and wins 4 points in a row on nadal's & his serve to go up 5-2. Though being pressurized by Thiem's heavy shots, rafa maintains his composure to win next 2 points and passes the task of serving out the match to thiem. At 5-4, Thiem serves an excellent unreturnable in the corner and sets up 2 match points for himself. Though on the 1st match point, he gets tight again and misses an easy sitter off the FH wing and now its 6-5 thiem with rafa's serve points coming on. The 12th point is an incredible battle between the two as rafa pushes thiem to corner and he hits a lob at the other end of the court, which, upon being challenged by rafa, turns out to be out and now its 6-6 at the court changeover. In the 13th point, rafa's excellent wide serve to the thiem BH draws a short return from the Austrian, which Rafa follows through the net with a Forehand crosscourt shot, on which Thiem rips the passing shot on stretch, which touches the net cord and goes down to the rafa side to set up yet another match point for Thiem. On the match point no. 3, thiem puts in an incredibly nervy 2nd serve, on which, after a rally, Nadal misses an easy Forehand Sitter. Thiem wins the tiebreaker 8-6 and the match 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-6.
Over-all, a high quality match.
www.quora.com
