Thiem Nudges Towards London Bid In Metz
Thiem Nudges Towards London Bid In Metz
Austrian attempting to qualify for year-end championships for the first time
Dominic Thiem moved closer to qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday with an opening win at the Moselle Open in Metz. The 23-year-old Austrian prevailed against German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk 7-5, 7-6(2) to avenge a previous straight-sets loss to Gojowczyk in Doha in 2014.
Thiem had to retire from his most recent match, a fourth-round contest against Juan Martin del Potro at the US Open, because of a right-leg injury. But the World No. 10 moved freely and showed no signs of any lingering pain during his Moselle Open debut. The right-hander delivered 12 aces and didn’t face a break point in the 88-minute win.
Thiem is trying to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. He’s currently in seventh place in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Three men – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka – have already qualified for the year-end championships, to be held 13-20 November at The O2 in London, leaving five spots still open. In the quarter-finals, Thiem will face sixth seed Gilles Muller, who won 82 per cent of his service points to beat Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2 in 56 minutes.
Eighth seed Nicolas Mahut dismissed #NextGen player Quentin Halys 6-3, 6-4. Mahut is playing in Metz for the 11th straight year and 13th time in the past 14 years. He’ll try to improve on semi-final showings in 2007 and 2013. In the second round, the 34-year-old Mahut will meet Ukrainian Illya Marchenko, who saved two match points at 4-5, 15/40 in the deciding set to beat Andreas Seppi 6-7(1), 6-3, 7-6(4) in two hours and 28 minutes.
Julien Benneteau reached his second quarter-final of the season by beating German Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-4. He also reached the quarter-finals at the Abierto Mexicano Mifel last month in Los Cabos. Benneteau will meet a countryman in the quarter-finals, either Pierre-Hugues Herbert or third seed Lucas Pouille.
German Jan-Lennard Struff got the better of 2007 champion Tommy Robredo, who was making his ATP World Tour return following right elbow surgery on 27 April. Struff won 7-6(5), 7-5 in one hour and 33 minutes. He will next meet second seed and 2014 champion David Goffin.