ATP Finals | Thiem, scourge of the Big Three, beats Djokovic to play the final

With a display of personality and caste that is increasingly seen on the slopes, Dominic Thiem beat Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-7 (10) and 7-6 (5) in 2:54 and will play for the second time in a row in the final of the ATP Finals. Nobody did it since the Serbian himself, who played it five times in a row between 2012 and 2016. The Austrian achieved his 300th victory on the circuit, the fifth against a number one and also the fifth against Nole. Thus he became the second player, after Andy Murray, that manages to win at least five times each of the members of the Big Three: Nadal (6-9), Federer (5-2) and Djokovic (5-7). In fact, in the last two years he has a favorable balance against the three: Federer (3-0), Nadal (3-1) and Djokovic (3-2). For that reason alone it already has a place among the best, although it lacks Grand Slams. He has one, the US Open, and if he continues like this he will add more. For now, he aspires again to win the Masters. He will have the opportunity this Sunday (19:00, #Vamos) against Nadal or Medvedev.

The first set, like many so far of a very high-level Masters, was decided by minute details. Thiem served a little better (86% of points won with firsts) and found the only fissure to beat Djokovic to the rest in the eleventh game. That bad moment of the Balkan marked the future of the set, because then Dominic did not forgive the service. His rival played with exquisite correction, but without the necessary spark to overflow, and he, without doing anything extraordinary beyond what he knows and is known, put himself ahead.

In the second set, Thiem served even better, with two blank serves. Djokovic, for his part, found the order he likes to direct the games. He suffered 2-2 to lift his opponent's second break option and then the first came to him, although the Austrian saved the ballot with an ace and a precious parallel backhand. The level of the services of both increased and the duel led to a tiebreaker, despite the fact that Nole, a great receiver, had another two break points and set at 6-5. But he had a very fit enemy in front of him. Djokovic lost the first two goals of the tie-break and between one and the other he played strangely throwing and spinning the racket. He moved with a nervous smile. There were many alternatives and after several nonsense on both sides, the Belgrade player equalized the game after lifting four match balls.

Thiem, who had lacked a bit of calm to close the duel, needed a good start to the third set and he had it. Djokovic too and increased his wear work. Both held the pull supported by their serves in a phase with short rallies. Between applause for each other and a heartrending cry from the Balkan after a forced error that resounded in the empty O2 Arena, the game, more than even, could only end with a new tiebreaker. He started with a 4-0 for Djokovic and the chroniclers already writing about the triumph of the number one. And in these, Thiem took out an unusual claw, the one that gave him, for example, the title at the US Open, and came back with a tremendous and unexpected 7-1 run against a titan like Djokovic, although last year he already raised him a 4-1 tie-break also in the third set in the group stage. Let's see who can rattle him now.

Schedule and results of the ATP Finals.