Australian Open: Thiem stops Zverev and look for the third to be defeated

He knows well what it is to play a final Grand slam, and also knows more than good what it is to lose it. I succeeded him twice with Rafael Nadal in the definition of Roland Garros, all a motivation to Dominic Thiem, who after defeating the German Alexander Zverev today seek to shake the metal empire on Sunday Novak Djokovic.

Thiem, owner of a tennis of exceptional beauty, beat Zverev 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and 7-6 (7-4). If he wins on Sunday, a piece of information to get an idea of ​​the watershed that could mean that: he will be the first man born in the '90s to conquer a Grand Slam. The same will be said the day Zverev wins, just 22 years old today.

“What's wrong with the tie breaks?“I asked John McEnroe after the game to Thiem. Question more than reasonable, because the Australian won the three that I played against Nadal and sum today two more with Zverev. “The tie breaks are always 50 and 50, the first one who played in this tournament I lost it,” I replied modestly.

Australian tennis has a history as small as the territory of the country itself, but there is a name whose echo resonates, that of Thomas Muster, champion of Roland Garros 1995 and number one in the world for a few months.

Thiem, however, has a tennis several galaxies superior to that of that left-handed man with the gesture of Terminator that every year made good skewers of titles in clay. No, the new Australian who speaks in tennis owns a powerful right, a revs to a fabulous hand for ductility and power, an important service and, this season, a chiseled physicist who endures what they throw . A whole Nadal for four hours and ten minutes in the quarterfinals, for example.

On a day when Melbourne thermometers marked 43 degrees, the humid and hot atmosphere, the night lights and the excitement of the public gave Thiem and Zverev to the Rod Laver Arena an air of travel to the future, to the near future. The two and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas seem destined to form the tro that occupies the place that the virtuous Federer, Nadal and Djokovic defend with nails and teeth.

“It's almost unreal, I'm in the final of the Australian Open. And today winning two tie breaks against Sascha … It's almost impossible to break the service,” said the finalist, who faces a player who hit more than 80 percent. of his first services. “I had some problems in the first setI think we were both nervous with our first semifinal here. And 5-4 in the second set was key, because I had to save several break points, “Thiem analyzed.

Trained by the Chilean Nicols Mass, Thiem had a hard time finding his game, so I don't miss him losing the first set 6-3. After the roof was closed because allover had begun, the Australian resolved the second sleeve with an ace, a 6-4 after a game of wonderful points on both sides.

The match was interrupted again at the start of the third set, with Zverev 1-0 ahead, by a spotlight that melted. Instead of pouting, the two protagonists of the night enjoyed the “karaoke” improvised in the stadium during the ten minutes of parn.

The pause did not prevent the continuation of seeing notable points. Thiem's ​​revs, which shines both cross and parallel, allow geometers and choreographs that are seen in a few games. It also happens, for example, when playing Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, defeated by Zverev in the previous round.

Thiem went 3-1 in the third set, but Zverev recovered to take a 4-3 lead. Shortly after, the German had set point with the Australian taking 4-5. There were two: Thiem saved the first with a parallel revs and the second with a crossed right. It was 5-5, the match was very close and the next few minutes will be vital to clarify who will reach the final on Sunday.

Nothing better than a tie break to define a tie, and, for Thiem, nothing better than a splendid revs crossed at the time of sealing the 7-3 and taking an absolutely vital third set, given the oscillating development of the night.

The fourth set was exciting, and landed where he was expected to do it: in a tie break. There were lucid points and there was drama, but the game was slipping towards Thiem's ​​pocket. Djokovic, the person in charge of continuing to block that door that supports the combined weight of Federer and Nadal, this Sunday has a major mayscula challenge.