Dominic Thiem pushed to five sets in win over qualifier Denis Kudla
MELBOURNE — Dominic Thiem made his life extremely difficult on Day 4 of the Australian Open. Taking on qualifier Denis Kudla, Thiem dug himself into a two-sets-to-love hole on the hottest day of the fortnight so far.
Mentioning the weather is normally reserved for awkward small talk, but a sudden spike to temperatures of 100 degrees (and higher) is significant news. It feels like torture just standing outside, as the dry heat is making players and fans alike desperate for shade. Surely on brutal days like this the men would benefit greatly from playing best-of-three matches.
Though if that had been the case, Thiem would be buying a flight home right now.
The first set was a stunning collection of service breaks (three each), eventually leading to a tiebreaker. Just as Thiem looked ready to step up as the favorite in this match with double set point (he’s the world No. 5 after all), world No. 180 Kudla won four points in a row, blasting an ace at 7-6 to seal the set.
“I got a pretty stupid break [against me]—until then the match was in my hands,” Thiem said. “It got a little bit out of my hands. I didn’t play too well in the first two sets but from then on it was way better.”
The former world No. 53 reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2015, but has won just one Grand Slam match since then. The American was not expected to challenge Thiem, despite the fact that players on the ATP tour are separated by miniscule margins once they’re inside the Top 200.
“It is very close,” Thiem said. “It’s also difference if he was No. 180 and he was never up there [near the Top 50]. Kudla is way different.”
In the second set, Thiem still wasn’t looking like himself, letting Kudla run the show and get a critical break for 5-3, closing out the second set soon after. Things looked dire for the Austrian as he faced an uphill battle in uphill temperatures.
“He’s a good player I think on his way back,” Thiem said. “He played a great tournament. I was not really surprised that he played well.”
But Thiem didn’t panic. The 24-year-old was ready for war, and didn’t back away from the challenge. He let out a few exasperated outbursts here and there, but for the most part, kept himself in check.
“It’s very tough not easy mentally but from the moment on I was a break up in the third set—the mind was again positive,” Thiem said. “Also in the first two sets it was close and I think I had my chances in both sets. I always knew that if I play well and if I keep it up that I could turn it around.”
Kudla, meanwhile, couldn’t maintain the high level that saw him strike fear into Thiem’s heart in the first two sets.
Though it took him 3 hours and 38 minutes, Thiem would run away with the match, 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
“The physical fitness is the most important,” Thiem said. “It was [nearly] three hours 50 minutes, almost 40 degrees [Celsius]. It was very tough. Also for sure if you’re physically fit you stay mentally fresher.”
Despite his high ranking, Thiem hasn’t tasted a lot of Grand Slam success. He’s facing a favorable draw this fortnight with No. 26 Adrian Mannarino and No. 9 Stan Wawrinka in his section.
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