In the round of 16, which was affected by rain and wind, the Peruvian ended the game 4:6, 4:6. He conceded two early breaks in the first set and quickly found himself 5-1 behind. After that, the Lower Austrian fought his way into the game once morest the South American, who is currently two places behind Thiem in position 101 in the ranking, and reduced it to 4: 5. Varillas then secured the first round on his own service with the third set ball. “That was one of my biggest victories in my career so far,” cheered Varillas, while Thiem quickly made his way to the dressing room. He will continue in Brazil next week, where he will hit the sand at the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
There was good news for Thiem even before the game: he received a wildcard for the Masters tournament in March in Indian Wells. His friend Dennis Novak (ATP No. 137), on the other hand, will be missing from the tour for a longer time. He has torn a ligament in his left ankle and will be out for at least two months.
