The 30-year-old from Lower Austria improved greatly following a weak start once morest Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN-27) and forced a fifth set once morest the world number 30 following a 3:6.5:7 deficit. After 4:59 hours, the Canadian, who was seven years younger, won, Thiem lost 3:6.5:7.7:6(5),7:5,3:6.
“In the end, you play for five hours and the decision is made in a few very tight situations. That’s bitter, of course,” summed up a disappointed Thiem following 2:15 a.m. local time. “I was at the back of the match the whole time. Then a small door opened in the first game in the fifth set, where it was 15:40. But he served well twice. You can see how close everything is together. Then I I got the decisive break in the second game.”
“A little too many mistakes and too tense”
Basically, he didn’t start very well, explained Thiem. “A little too many mistakes and too tense, then I started the game well. I played well in the fourth or fifth set, I can definitely take that with me.” At least it’s good that he stuck with it the whole time. “It’s not every day that you play for five hours, it’s also good physically. Of course it’s very bitter now.”
While Thiem was at least able to leave the field knowing that he was in top shape, Auger-Aliassime was celebrated by the remaining fans. “These matches are crazy, you go through so many emotions. That’s the sport, sometimes it’s annoying. In the end I didn’t want to fail mentally, I didn’t want to blame myself,” said the Canadian.
At 5-2 in the third set tiebreak, he might have ended the match almost two hours earlier. “Honestly, not good things,” Auger-Aliassime admitted of his thoughts. “But we also try to be good actors on the pitch.” At 4:59 hours, it was the longest match of his career. “It was a big game that I will remember often.”
For Thiem, the hoped-for upswing in the new year did not materialize, especially at the major level, where a lot of points are at stake. Three years ago he was in the round of 16 in Melbourne and four years ago in the final. But since the French Open 2021, he has only survived a round in eight majors in a row at the US Open last year.
Excitement regarding drinking bottles
Even before the start of the match, there was a brief commotion on the pitch because the supervisor did not accept Thiem’s branded drinking bottles, as is not allowed. Things didn’t go as planned for the Lower Austrian in the match either. The serve went up to 4:3, but Thiem also made mistakes, which was later shown in the set balance winner to unforced errors (6:8). Auger-Aliassime used the second break point of this match in the eighth game to make it 5:3 and deservedly served with an ace to take the set lead following 45 minutes.
Thiem seemed unsettled. In the third game of the second round, the former world number three had to give up his serve to make it 1-2 following many mistakes. The former US Open winner seemed haphazard and his footwork was also far from his best. At that point, Auger-Aliassime surprisingly gave the serve to make it 2-2 and Thiem found his way into the game a little better.
But Thiem, who was far too inconsistent, simply made too many mistakes, mightn’t rely on his forehand and didn’t really show any tactics. When he had to give up his serve at 5:5 and 40:0 to make it 5:6, the preliminary decision seemed to have been made. After almost two hours, the Canadian took the set lead 2-0 with 7:5.
Surprising transformation
In the third round, Thiem managed the required six serve wins to make it 6:5 and Auger-Aliassime, who had previously missed the only break chance at 5:4, had to serve once morest losing the set. He managed to keep a clean sheet and it went into a tiebreak following three hours. Thiem took a 2-0 lead in this one. But when Auger-Aliassime made it 5-2 with five points, Thiem was two points away from elimination. But a double fault and two forehand errors by the North American brought Thiem the set and not Auger-Aliassime the match point. After 3:11 hours, Thiem actually managed to save himself in the fourth set.
He consolidated better and better and also looked better and more consistent in the rallies. It was a transformation like in the classic film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, Thiem was unrecognizable. An indication that a lot of things happen in Thiem’s head. He immediately managed a break, which he confirmed to make it 2-0. As a result, Thiem served, among other things, three times to zero and was clearly on course for the fifth set. At 5:4, Thiem had to accept the rebreak somewhat surprisingly, but managed the break once more to make it 6:5. After 4:14 hours, Thiem served his way into the fifth set.
“It continues in quick succession”
He seemed well on his way to turning a 0-2 set deficit into a win for the fifth time in his career. He achieved this in the 2020 US Open final once morest Alexander Zverev (GER) and in the third round of Melbourne in 2021 once morest Nick Kyrgios (AUS).
But the match tipped once more. Thiem missed two break points in the opening game and had to give up his first serve game following two double faults, making it 0-2. That was the decision: Auger-Aliassime improved once more to the same extent and the Canadian made it 4:1. The Canadian no longer allowed himself to be pushed away from winning ways.
Thiem is now heading back to Europe and with the ÖTV team to Ireland at the beginning of February. “I’ll now play the Davis Cup, then a UTS event and then probably Doha, Dubai. Then I’ll go over to America. Now I have to digest the defeat for a moment, then it’ll just move on in quick succession anyway.”
