Thiem Blasts Into Rio Final

Dominic Thiem made quick work of Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday to book his spot in the final of the Rio Open presented by Claro. The World No. 8 sealed his place in his 11th ATP World Tour title match and second at the 500 level with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Spaniard.

Thiem has proven that his game translates on all surfaces and one week after competing on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam, the Austrian has had little trouble adapting to the conditions in Rio de Janeiro. The second seed has yet to drop a set all week, racing to a 6-1 lead in Saturday’s first semi-final behind a pair of quick breaks. He was relentless from the baseline, striking winners off both wings with conviction and forcing Ramos-Vinolas into uncomfortable positions.

Thiem would secure the immediate advantage in the first game of the second set and while the Spaniard would draw level with a break back for 4-4, he reinstated the lead in the next game and served it out after one hour and 22 minutes. He fired 21 winners and benefited from 32 unforced errors in total.

“I’m really happy this week,” said Thiem. “I raised my game with every match. I’m happy to be back on clay in general, and I honestly didn’t expect the transition to go so fast. I think I’m a better player than I was last year, so we’ll see how the final will go tomorrow.”

The 23 year old will be appearing in the final of a third different tournament on the Latin American Golden Swing, having lifted the trophy in both Buenos Aires and Acapulco last year. Standing across the net will be either Pablo Carreno Busta or Norwegian teen Casper Ruud.