Australian Open: Matches to Watch on Saturday Night (Into Sunday)
How to watch: ESPN, 2:30 a.m. Eastern; streaming on ESPN+, 7:15 p.m. and ESPN3, 2:30 a.m.
Novak Djokovic vs. Dominic Thiem
Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, is the most decorated singles player in the history of the Australian Open. With seven titles in Melbourne, beginning in 2008, Djokovic is at home on the hardcourts Down Under. The world No. 2, he has galloped toward his eighth Australian Open title, and looks in excellent form. He skated past Roger Federer in the semifinal, winning in straight sets, on his quest to match Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic has been described by his coach, Marian Vajda, as being unsatisfied with keeping still. Vajda said, “It seems that the things are perfect, but suddenly he wants to change in some way.” Djokovic is always striving to better himself, committed to experimentation. To Djokovic, “stagnation is regression.” It’s hard to find any signs of stagnation in him. After struggling with injuries in 2017, he won two Grand Slam titles in 2018, and another pair in 2019. He seems well on his way to add another Australian Open trophy to his shelf.
Dominic Thiem, the fourth seed, fought his way to this third Grand Slam final appearance by showing a level of adaptability that is reminiscent of Djokovic’s. In the quarterfinals, against Rafael Nadal, Thiem played with a lower slice that moved Nadal around the court, keeping him from using his powerful topspin shots. In the semifinal against Alexander Zverev, Thiem rushed the net more frequently, keeping points shorter, and pressuring Zverev to either go for bigger shots or be broken down by Thiem’s ability to move him from corner to corner in an advanced position.
Thiem has emerged as the biggest threat to the Big Three over the last four years. He’s the only player within the last four years to beat Rafael Nadal three times on clay, Roger Federer on every surface, and Novak Djokovic more than three times anywhere. But there is a mental hurdle to pass here. In his on-court interview after the semifinal, Thiem referenced his two losses to Nadal in the finals of the French Open saying, “I’m always facing the kings of a Grand Slam in the final.”
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/sports/australian-open-matches-to-watch-on-saturday-night-into-sunday.html?emc=rss&partner=rss