Refreshed Thiem Eyes Deep US Open Run

Eighth seed Dominic Thiem is through to the US Open third round for the third straight year after a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Ricardas Berankis on Thursday. The 22-year-old Austrian will be thankful for the straight-sets win following a tough five-set victory over Australia’s John Millman in the first round.

Currently fifth in the Emirates ATP Race To London and on track to make his debut at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Thiem improved to 51-16 on the year

“It was a rough starting being down 1-4, but the rain break came at a pretty good time for me because I just made a re-break to 4-all,” Thiem said. “It’s never easy with a rain delay, especially here as there is nowhere really to relax. But I had a very good start after the break to take the set 6-4 and I was able to carry this for the rest of the match.”

Thiem had been in a mini slump after his sizzling start to the season. After reaching the Roland Garros semi-finals he began the grass season with his third title of the year in Stuttgart and then reached the Halle semi-finals, where he suffered a surprise loss to World No. 192 Florian Mayer. He lost in the Wimbledon second round and first-round exits followed on home soil in Kitzbuehel and Toronto. He reached the Cincinnati quarter-finals with one win and a walkover.

Thiem attributed his form reversal to playing too much. But he believes he is now physically and mentally refreshed and approaching his best form.

“I just played so many matches that the body and mind say ‘That’s enough now’. At Wimbledon and a little bit after I carried it until maybe after Toronto and little bit to Cincinnati. Then everything went the right direction. Cincinnati was very lucky but I had a good practice week last week and my fitness level and level of my game went the right way. Now it’s on a pretty high level again.”

Thiem next plays World No. 39 Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who rallied from two sets down to defeat Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that was interrupted by rain late in the third set.

Last week Carreno Busta won his first ATP World Tour title when he defeated countryman Roberto Bautista Agut in the final of Winston-Salem. The 25 year old previously reached the US Open third round in 2014.