What is wrong with Thiem?

[Meles]

I am just watching the Dimitrov v Goffin match now. I can say that with the state of Goffin's knee he isn't a threat to anyone anymore. Sure he can still run around pretty good but no confidence in the knee has translated into no confidence in his shots.

Goffin's error rate post-Tokyo has blown out dramatically. I think he has had the knee issue since about the time of those tournaments?

You must have lulled Fed into a false sense of security.

 

[Meles]

The defeat vs Goffin was one of the worst matches ive ever seen Thiem play. Every single thing I mentioned wrong about his backhand was in complete exhibition today. I really hope this guy can sort his problems out by next year. 2017 has not been friendly to Thiem. He has progressively declined this year: Footwork, technique, mental fortitude, and perhaps injury.

Thiem has progressively declined every year once Summer hard courts have started.

2018 has started with what appears to be a nice drubbing of Donskoy. Thiem:
1. won 91% of first serves which is phenomenal and looks more at ease with the pace on first serve game trading a touch of pace for better placement
2. won 36% of first return points in the match (right on track and a strength of his game on hard courts.)
3. won 56% of 2nd return points; again dandy
....
....
4. Did all of the above, but only won 44% of 2nd serve points and failed once again to serve out first set from 5-3. Thiem's hard court malady may be worsening. Again early 2017 and all of 2016 he was 53-54% on 2nd serve return won on hard courts, but then sunk to around 48% for the 2nd half of the year.

I love stats and never really seen anything like Thiem's 2nd serve points won drop which has dropped off a cliff on hard courts. Crazy, crazy stuff when all of his other stats have improved quite nicely. My best guess is purely mental/strategy, but would have no idea what to tell Thiem to do about it. Maybe this is not mental and has to do with his kicker serve going down the drain pure and simple; if this is the case then he's got to focus on his 2nd serving. (Boris Becker is still available.)

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Thiem has progressively declined every year once Summer hard courts have started.

2018 has started with what appears to be a nice drubbing of Donskoy. Thiem:
1. won 91% of first serves which is phenomenal and looks more at ease with the pace on first serve game trading a touch of pace for better placement
2. won 36% of first return points in the match (right on track and a strength of his game on hard courts.)
3. won 56% of 2nd return points; again dandy
....
....
4. Did all of the above, but only won 44% of 2nd serve points and failed once again to serve out first set from 5-3. Thiem's hard court malady may be worsening. Again early 2017 and all of 2016 he was 53-54% on 2nd serve return won on hard courts, but then sunk to around 48% for the 2nd half of the year.

I love stats and never really seen anything like Thiem's 2nd serve points won drop which has dropped off a cliff on hard courts. Crazy, crazy stuff when all of his other stats have improved quite nicely. My best guess is purely mental/strategy, but would have no idea what to tell Thiem to do about it. Maybe this is not mental and has to do with his kicker serve going down the drain pure and simple; if this is the case then he's got to focus on his 2nd serving. (Boris Becker is still available.)

Thiem > Donskoy > Fred

 

[Russeljones]

Thiem has progressively declined every year once Summer hard courts have started.

2018 has started with what appears to be a nice drubbing of Donskoy. Thiem:
1. won 91% of first serves which is phenomenal and looks more at ease with the pace on first serve game trading a touch of pace for better placement
2. won 36% of first return points in the match (right on track and a strength of his game on hard courts.)
3. won 56% of 2nd return points; again dandy
....
....
4. Did all of the above, but only won 44% of 2nd serve points and failed once again to serve out first set from 5-3. Thiem's hard court malady may be worsening. Again early 2017 and all of 2016 he was 53-54% on 2nd serve return won on hard courts, but then sunk to around 48% for the 2nd half of the year.

I love stats and never really seen anything like Thiem's 2nd serve points won drop which has dropped off a cliff on hard courts. Crazy, crazy stuff when all of his other stats have improved quite nicely. My best guess is purely mental/strategy, but would have no idea what to tell Thiem to do about it. Maybe this is not mental and has to do with his kicker serve going down the drain pure and simple; if this is the case then he's got to focus on his 2nd serving. (Boris Becker is still available.)

Drubbing? Donskoy posed questions Thiem had a hard time answering. Stats are nice but you should have watched the match.

 

[Meles]

Bresnik seems like quite the charmer

"now carry this log into the woods.."

Bresnik's recent resume:
1. Gulbis to RG SF
2. Weaponized Shapovalov's forehand during off-season before 2017
3. Unknown coaching contact with Rublev in the last month who already has a great forehand. Rublev with the Thiem camp in December:

(The bromance has continued in Doha with interviewer today getting into Thiem and Rublev having dinner New Year's eve.)

 

[Meles]

Drubbing? Donskoy posed questions Thiem had a hard time answering. Stats are nice but you should have watched the match.

I watched the match and Donskoy did make it quite close in the first set, but Thiem had a lot of early break points in that set plus of course served for the set at 5-3. The 2nd set was pretty decisive.

Today's match is just the first data point in the new year and merely continues the trend. These stats are extremely telling over longer periods of time. I'd be quite interested to see Thiem vs. Rublev final in Doha because Rublev's 2nd return game is a strength and its pretty rare to see a player winning matches with 2nd serve points won in the 30s. I was hoping Thiem's 2nd serve problems would disappear with the new year.

 

[Yoneyama]

You must have lulled Fed into a false sense of security.

Oops... but come on lol, I don't think anyone thought Goffin could pull off what he did in the WTF haha

 

[Meles]

Oops... but come on lol, I don't think anyone thought Goffin could pull off what he did in the WTF haha

I'm glad he's ranked 5-8 with Thiem which means they'll never play unless both in SFs or better.

 

[I Am Finnish]

He is in love with a player who lost 12 matches in row

Make it 13

 

[Meles]

Will this crop up in RG final, so far so good on clay. Thiem's coach Gallo has got his 2nd serve points won moving the right way on hard courts, but for the first part of 2018 it still worse than just early last year and 2015-2016 (51% in 2018 for 2nds, 53% the Thiem norm and should be betterer now.)

 

[Meles]

Sorry, permalink for statistics/performance is currently manual, you need to manually enter URL.
You should be able to get directly to statistics page if you paste URL in the browser or click the link: http://www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com/playerProfile?name=Dominic Thiem&tab=statistics&season=2017&surface=H

Currently not possible to filter stats by date, only by season and by last 52 weeks.

Ugh for some reason these links won't create for me today on graphs when I click link symbol, just goes back to player main page. Browser chrome and edge on windows 10.

 

[Rosstour]

About a few years ago when Thiem was just getting attention after the win over Wawrinka, a guy wrote in a YouTube comment section that he’s a good player, but his career will be hampered by lower back injuries because of his arch on the second serve. It’s a very generous arch which allows him to hit crazy kick seeves, but also the bend causes his back to have many issues... major or minor, this was coming.

That would explain it, since the 2nd serve is clearly his issue.

Thiem’s got a really long stroke, especially that backhand. To get mustard on his ground strokes he needs to be camped well behind the baseline.

Of course this works on clay. I don’t see how his stroke mechanics translate to a successful hard court player.

The only player I’ve seen that can successfully camp out that far behind the baseline on all surfaces is Nadal. And that too because his BH can be flattened out and he’s usually tactically on point.

Thiem needs to employ more strategy and acquire playing patterns that can translate to a variety of surfaces. I’d say that’s his biggest hurdle at this point.

He can't really do that, because he doesn't move that well. That's his real Achilles heel.

 

[Mileta Cekovic]

Ugh for some reason these links won't create for me today on graphs when I click link symbol, just goes back to player main page. Browser chrome and edge on windows 10.

This link is for Player statistics tab, if you want chart then link is like this: https://www.ultimatetennisstatistic...e=Dominic Thiem&tab=statisticsChart&surface=H

 

[Meles]

This link is for Player statistics tab, if you want chart then link is like this: https://www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com/playerProfile?name=Dominic Thiem&tab=statisticsChart&surface=H

Its working now, but the above is about as clear as mud. I was doing graph by age and I couldn't begin to imagine what to type in when the chain link not working. Did you reboot something? Now its working for everything.

Talk tennis now works a bit better with your sight. I'd not noticed before, but now if I paste text only from the link and just plop it in, it automatically gets a nice box and title that looks more Professional. Not sure if from your end a hint of the graphic could show, but doing this I like more than frankly your link I'm quoting.

Ugh its busted again!

 

[yokied]

I don't care what analytical games you play elsewhere, when a player has issues like this, there's a lot more important problems than technical ones to sort out.

I’ve read my own nonsense and I’m ****ing ashamed of its practicality.

@Meles man come back. If not to poast, I hope you at least enjoyed Carlito’s Spanish dedjokodalisationinquisition.

 

[Musterrific]

Stank up the court again today, losing meekly in straights again to a declined mug. I said it would take several months to regain any semblance of world-class form, but he hasn't really shown any significant improvement for a few tournaments in a row now...

 

[I Am Finnish]

BP conversion since the return.

Cachin: 1/7
Millman: 2/6
Bonzi: 0/0
Murray: 0/3
Fognini: 1/7
Cecchinato: 0/7