2023-08-30 23:14:52
Dominic Thiem had to retire in the second round of the $65 million US Open on Wednesday. The 29-year-old from Lower Austria was down 6:7(1),0:1 in New York following an appealing first set once morest the American Ben Shelton and was then unable to continue playing. He felt very bad, he explained to the doctor on the pitch and had previously repeatedly grabbed his stomach.
Thiem had already had to cancel his US Open dress rehearsal in Winston-Salem. According to his manager Moritz Thiem, the reason for this was a “kind of gastritis”. Before the tournament started, Thiem said he felt better once more. “I still have a few stomach problems at times but the energy is back,” he said.
However, there was no statement following his departure on Wednesday. The ATP said “too sick” and Thiem was able to save himself the usual appointment with the media.
In his second round match once morest the only 20-year-old left-hander Shelton, who attracted attention this year with the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, there were no signs of problems at Thiem for a long time. The match started as even as expected.
Thiem managed the first break of the game to make it 4: 2 once morest the strong server Shelton. However, the world number 81. give up the serve once morest the number 47 immediately followingwards. After a marathon game at 4: 4, Thiem fended off no less than three breakballs and made it 5: 4 and immediately following 46 minutes found a break and set ball. This remained unused and it went into the tie-break. In this Shelton was clearly better, he won this 7:1 also because of several mistakes.
Thiem then immediately left the field and came back with a completely different facial expression and was visibly in pain. For the first time, he was not doing well. Without resistance, he let Shelton’s first service game pass him and gave up. Curiously, however, Thiem still had to wait for the tournament doctor, to whom he had to explain longer why he might not continue playing.
In the conversation, it was later revealed, Thiem had explained that he had had to vomit before the match. After the first sentence he almost had to vomit once more during the toilet break.
Shelton, who had given another talent test in the large, around 14,000 spectator Louis Armstrong Stadium, was not happy regarding the abrupt end. He didn’t notice any of Thiem’s problems. “He hid it well. He’s a great fighter and a great champion, as you all know. When he came back on the pitch, I saw what was wrong with him,” said Shelton, adding in a sporting manner: ” It’s such a shame he mightn’t continue playing. He’s played great tennis over the past few weeks and a great first round. I think we played at a high level in the first set too.”
This made Sebastian Ofner the last Austrian to compete in the US Open. The currently best-placed ÖTV player will play in the night session (from 1:00 a.m. CEST) in the Arthur-Ashe-Stadium once morest the American number ten Frances Tiafoe.
Surprisingly, Ofner is now also the last Austrian in the doubles competition, because on the pitch-black Wednesday for red-white-red, Sam Weissborn (with Romain Arneodo/MON), Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler and also Philipp Oswald (with Botic van Zandschulp/ NED) already in the first round. Erler/Miedler and Oswald each narrowly failed in the third set.
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