Dominic Thiem Earns an Australian Open Final With Djokovic

MELBOURNE — Dominic Thiem will get another chance to win his first major championship after defeating Alexander Zverev, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), in a taut men’s semifinal at the Australian Open on Friday night.

Thiem, a 26-year-old Austrian, will play Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s men’s final. It will be first time the two have met in the last match of a Grand Slam event.

Thiem’s win over his German rival was hard fought, but featured plenty of surprising errors and tense, uneven play. Zverev, 22, raced out in front, dominating behind powerful serving and deft precision. But Thiem turned the momentum around when Zverev briefly faltered in the second set. He went ahead and stayed in front, saving two set points on his own serve in the third set to hold on and keep the lead. He earned a match points after a pair of stunning forehand winners, and then ended it with a short volley hit into the open court.

Sunday’s final will offer Thiem yet another chance to fulfill the expectations that have swirled around him for years. Many tennis experts have thought the powerful Austrian would be the player from his generation most likely to rise through the ranks and regularly challenge the so-called Big Three: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, each in his 30s.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/sports/dominic-thiem-earns-an-australian-open-final-with-djokovic.html?emc=rss&partner=rss