MONTE CARLO – The lingering effects of a 2021 wrist injury limited Dominic Thiem’s ability to generate power last season but the former world No. 3 is happy that he can now rely on his big weapons again after making a strong start at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The Austrian broke the Grand Slam stranglehold of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic by winning the 2020 US Open but the injury sidelined him for months and other niggles saw him slip down the rankings to No. 352 last June.
After a first-round exit at the Australian Open in January, and disappointing performances in the tournaments that followed, Thiem made the quarter-finals of the Estoril Open and beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-4 in his opener in Monaco.
“Some positive signs happened already in Estoril and today (Monday), I had the feeling that I was doing, from time to time, good damage with both forehand and backhand,” said Thiem, who next plays Holger Rune.
“The power wasn’t there last year even when I started to win matches and played better. In the inner season, the power wasn’t there yet. Also maybe not in the beginning of the year.
“In the last month, it’s coming back, especially in practice. The shots are there, the power is there like before, but I was using it wrong. There’s full trust again in the wrist and the forehand.”
A return to top form on clay would be an encouraging sign for the world No. 106 ahead of the French Open, where he reached the final in 2018 and 2019 before losing to Nadal on both occasions.
As Thiem is relishing his chances on the surface, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray struggled. The Scot’s first appearance at the tournament since 2017 ended in a loss to Alex de Minaur.
Murray gained direct entry into the prestigious Monte Carlo event after several players – including world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and 11-time champion Nadal – withdrew due to injuries.
But the former world No. 1 endured a torrid time in a rare appearance in a clay-court tournament due to hip injuries as he lost 6-1, 6-3 to his Australian opponent in 86 minutes.
“I’m pretty disappointed with it, to be honest, because I practised well last week,” he said.
“Obviously, I didn’t have high expectations going into the first tournament, I wasn’t expecting to play amazing tennis or feel great on the court, but it’s (still) pretty demoralising. I have to have a long think about things with my team and what I do from here.
“So it’s just whether I play the clay-court season or whether I miss it.” REUTERS
