Australian Open 2020 news - Dominic Thiem holds on to beat Taylor Fritz
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 25/01/2020 at 14:16 GMT
Dominic Thiem survived a mini-wobble to beat Taylor Fritz 6-2 6-4 6(5)-7 6-4 to progress to the next round of the Australian Open.
Austria's Dominic Thiem hits a return against Taylor Fritz of the US during their men's singles match on day six of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 25, 2020
Image credit: Getty Images
The Austrian, twice a French Open finalist, has never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage at any other Slam, but produced an accomplished performance against world number 34 Fritz.
Early breaks in sets one and two provided the basis for what would turn out to be a comfortable win for the world number five, even if the third set went to the American after a tie-break.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/01/25/2761359-57049190-2560-1440.png)
Thiem ousts Fritz in four sets after third-set wobble
And the Austrian secured his spot in the last 16 when Fritz double faulted while serving to stay in the match.
It was, in fact, a far more straight forward affair than Thiem’s five-set second-round clash with home hope Alex Bolt, and next up for 26-year-old Thiem is Gael Monfils, who beat Ernests Gulbis 7-6(2) 6-4 6-3.
A trip to the fourth round matches his best-ever showing at the Australian Open, having reached that stage in 2018 and 2019.
Thiem: I was lucky
“I am really happy,” said Thiem after the match.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/01/25/2761360-57049210-2560-1440.jpg)
Dominic Thiem: I got a bit lucky
“I played Taylor twice at the US Open – it was twice a very close match and then he beat me at the Laver Cup.
So, I expected a tough match and in the second set I got a bit lucky that I pulled it through, as I saved six out of six break points.
“He deserved to win the third set and in the fourth it was a great, close match from both of us but I was really happy that I closed it out.”
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2209.png)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2219.png)