I have a plan for Nadal, says Thiem
PARIS: Dominic Thiem says he has a plan to beat Rafael Nadal if he faces the reigning champion in the French Open final.
Thiem reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros with a comfortable defeat 7-5, 7-6 (12-10), 6-1 of Marco Cecchinato, meaning he will face Nadal if the 10-time winner gets past Juan Martin del Potro in the second semi-final.
The seventh-seeded Austrian ended Nadal’s record-breaking run of 50 successive sets won on clay at the Madrid Open earlier this season, while he also saw off the Spaniard in last year’s Internazionali d’italia.
Nadal won the pair’s only previous two meetings at the French Open, including their semi-final clash last year, but Thiem is confident he can upset the world No 1, should he face him on Sunday.
“He has to win today. It’s still very early in the match,” Thiem told the media, before adding: “He’s a big favourite against everybody. Still, I know how to play against him. I have a plan.”
PAIN IN THE RIFLE BUTT
Thiem described being forced to complete national service with
the Austrian military as “a pain in the arse”.
Thiem was called up at the end of 2014 when he was 21 under Austrian law which requires all men to serve six months in the forces. “I’m not a big fan of the military service. It was a pain in the arse these three, four weeks, seriously,” said Thiem.
“I was privileged because I’m an athlete. I only had to do four weeks, and the others have to stay six months there. But still it was not helpful for my start of the next tennis season.”