Thiem beats Murray, enters Barcelona final
Barcelona, April 29: Dominic Thiem claimed his first win over world number one Andy Murray to book his place in the final of the Barcelona Open on Saturday 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
The Austrian will face Rafael Nadal, who is looking for his 10th title in Barcelona, or Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos on Sunday.
Murray squeezed past Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a three-hour encounter on Friday and looked flat-footed as Thiem roared through the opening set with three breaks of serve in just over half an hour.
The Scot had to stave off another break point in a marathon opening game to the second set.
But he held on and then jumped at his chance to break for 5-3 before serving out to take the match to a decider.
Murray, though, still looks a pale shadow of the player that rose to number one on a spectacular run at the end of last year as he struggles for form and fitness after an elbow injury.
Thiem had to battle back from a break down in the third, but constantly put pressure on the Murray serve and broke another three times in the deciding set to seal his place in the final.
RAM, PAES BOOK
FINAL SPOTS
Tallahassee, Florida: Young Indian Davis Cupper Ramkumar Ramanathan and veteran Leander Paes have reached the singles and doubles final of the ATP Challenger event in Tallahassee after winning their respective semi-finals.
Ramkumar battled past Italian qualifier Andrea Arnaboldi 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the $75,000 clay court event after two hours and 34 minutes.
It will be first ever Challenger level final for the 22-year-old Indian, who next faces Slovenian qualifier Blaz Rola who edged past American Mitchell Krueger 63, 5-7, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Paes and Scott Lipsky, the top seeded Indo-American pair overcame a stiff resistance from Ecuadorian pair of Roberto Quiroz and Gonzalo Escobar 6-1, 6-7 (10-3) in the semi-finals.