Preview: Thiem, Tsitsipas Prepared For Another London Thriller
The first time Stefanos Tsitsipas took the court against Dominic Thiem at The O2, he was an 18-year-old kid who had yet to grow out his now signature haircut or grow into his lanky body. He had been invited to the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals as a sparring partner by virtue of his junior No. 1 ranking. Last year, they faced each other again in the final of the tournament, a barnburner won by the Greek in a third set tie-break.
As Thiem sailed a forehand wide on match point, Stefanos dropped his racquet, sank to his knees and put his head down against the court as if to bless it, as jubilant Greek fans waved their country’s blue and white flag in the stands. It was an emotional moment for a guy who as a boy would wake his parents up in the middle of the night to tell them he wanted to be a tennis player when he grew up. The riveting match was a coming-out party for Tsitsipas and the start of what looks like one of tennis’ next great rivalries.
It’s fitting that the next chapter in their tennis saga will take place on the same court Sunday, as the tournament’s opening singles act. “We [have] known each other for a long time,” said Tsitsipas, 22, on Friday. “We are good friends, on and off the court. He has contributed a lot to my success, and he has inspired me in many ways.”
2020 has been a breakthrough season for Thiem, who won his first major at the US Open in September. Tsitsipas has also been sensational at times, but it was also a bit of an up and down season for him on balance. Obstacles of varying shapes and sizes have gotten in the way of his tennis at times, including a big lug of a Labrador retriever named Bruno who refused to get off his practice court in the Hamptons this summer, as he chronicled on his YouTube channel, which has gone quiet in recent months.
The Greek heartthrob has also run into a dry patch on the court of late, losing in his first match at the Rolex Paris Masters in a third set tie-break, and in the second round to Grigor Dimitrov at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. But Stefanos is still a solid 28-12 this season, compared to 22-7 for Thiem. The Greek man Fabio Fognini calls the “Jesus Christ of tennis” took Novak Djokovic to a fifth set in the Roland Garros semi-finals, won an ATP 250 title in Marseille, and was a finalist in Hamburg and Dubai.
Aside from his triumph in New York, Thiem also took Djokovic to a fifth set in the final of the Australian Open. The Austrian said he’ll need to be sharp on Sunday to have any chance of advancing.
“In most of the other tournaments you at least have a little bit of time to get in shape, to get used to the conditions [and] everything,” said Thiem, 27, who is ranked No. 3. “But here it starts 100 per cent from the first point. It’s only matches between Top 10 players. This year all eight players are in good form, everybody is healthy as well because the season was not too long.”
Hopefully Thiem is correct on the health front, but Stefanos still has a nagging leg injury he’s dealing with.
“I’m happy that I’m able to move more freely and [be] less conscious of my pain,” said Tsitsipas, who is ranked No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. “So it’s a positive feedback, and a positive thing to have, [because] this injury kind of mentally drained me. I was not quite sure if it’s the right thing to do, to keep playing, but I proved that the mind can do anything if you set yourself a goal and you want to pursue it. Right now, I’m feeling way, way better than I did in Vienna. I hope my leg stays the same.”
[WATCH LIVE 2]Thiem leads their ATP Head2Head series 4-3, but Tsitsipas won the only match contested indoors, last year at The O2. The Greek, a self-described loner who nonetheless feeds off of supportive crowds, won’t have his spirited countrymen in the stands to support him this time, so he’ll need to summon his own motivation.
He said Friday that he’ll miss the fans, but was happy to be back at The O2 and in such great company. “We elevate tennis, all of us,” said Tsitsipas, who picked up his first Ranking point and a $172 check to show for it, at a Futures event in Greece at 15. “I think we’re going for a good show.”
For his part, the Austrian agreed, hinting that tennis fans are in for another wonderfully unpredictable week of tennis.
“I think it only depends on the day this year,” Thiem said. “The guy who has the better day is going to win and the guy who has the most good days is going to end up winning the tournament.”