Thiem Talks Massu Partnership

Dominic Thiem is perhaps best known for his clay-court prowess, but he’s ready to be recognised for his hard-court results as well.

The Austrian, seeded seventh this year at the BNP Paribas Open, has brought former World No. 9 and two-time Olympic gold medalist Nicolas Massu into his team. The pair first connected at the end of January during the Davis Cup tie between Austria and Chile, then met again in Buenos Aires during the Argentina Open. Thiem and Massu will work together in Indian Wells and at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“There are many things he can bring to my game,” said Thiem. “He preferred playing on clay, but his biggest success came on a fast hard court at the (2004 Athens) Olympics. He knows what it means to feel at home on clay, but transfer good results to a hard court. That’s one of the things we expect from the relationship.”

Thiem arrived in Indian Wells 11 days ago and said he feels ready to go for his first match on Saturday against Jordan Thompson of Australia. The hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden play at a relatively slower speed that suits Thiem’s game and he’s aware that a big fortnight in the desert could shape the rest of his season.

“If I had a deep run here, it would mean almost the same as if I had a deep run at the Nitto ATP Finals,” said Thiem. “I like the conditions here and feel I’ve always played quite well on these courts ever since I first came here in 2014. I’ve had really good practise and preparation, but I will see how it’s going in matches.”

Thiem’s results at the end of 2018 proved he can excel on this surface. He won the St. Petersburg Open (d. Klizan), reached the semi-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters and won a match at the Nitto ATP Finals against Kei Nishikori. It’s a trend he looks to continue into this year and beyond.

“I had a really good finish to last season on the hard courts,” said Thiem. “I finally achieved some of the goals I set for myself on this surface like moving closer to the baseline, serving better and returning better. I’ll try to continue the good results.”