The 29-year-old from Lower Austria won the only encounter eleven years ago in the Rennes qualifier in three sets. Should he compete once morest the 30-year-old world number 61. prevail, he meets Marc-Andrea Hüsler (SUI-8) or Kyle Edmund (GBR). For Thiem it is only the third appearance in Munich following 2015 and 2016. Seven years ago he only had to bow to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the final. Thiem had recently shown an upward trend in Estoril with the quarterfinals and in Monte Carlo with the first round victory over Richard Gasquet (FRA). “I hope that I can do a better job there,” said Thiem while still in the Principality.
After Matteo Berrettini’s cancellation at short notice, Thiem slipped into the main draw of the BMW Open without a wildcard thanks to his ranking.
Thiem will also try doubles once more on the Isar, he received a wildcard with the German Matthias Bachinger. In round one he meets Philipp Oswald from Vorarlberg, of all people, who is competing with Robin Haase from the Netherlands. Incidentally, for Bachinger, competing with Thiem is his farewell from professional tennis.
Also at the start is Austria’s top doubles Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler, who only lost in the final in Marrakech and this year also won an ATP tournament in Acapulco.
