Thiem overpowers Zverev in clash of young guns

FAST-rising Austrian Dominic Thiem (pic) out-muscled teenager Alexander Zverev 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam fourth round at the French Open.

The 22-year-old 13th seed, already leading the charts for clay-court wins this year, was cool, calm and composed as he recovered from the loss of the opening set to make it three wins in four weeks against the German.

Thiem now has his eyes on a deep run with Spain’s unseeded Marcel Granollers waiting in the last-16 rather than nine-time champion and fourth seed Rafael Nadal who withdrew on Friday because of a wrist injury.

Zverev, 19, showed just why he is being tipped to lead the new generation of players when he took a high-quality first set yesterday. Thiem took charge thereafter, however. Having levelled the match he broke in the third game of the third set.

Zverev recovered and had two break points to get back to 4-4 but he could not take either and Thiem moved 5-3 ahead with a glorious single-handed backhand winner.

Zverev, whose zebra-design shirt was covered in red dust after a fall, dropped serve to love to hand Thiem the third set and was rattled throughout the fourth as the match slipped away.

“We’ve played three times in four weeks and the other two went to three sets and now this went to four, so I knew it was going to be tough,” Thiem, like Zverev a former junior finalist here, said on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Over at the women’s matches, Ana Ivanovic’s hopes of adding to her 2008 French Open success ended rather tamely yesterday as she was beaten by Ukrainian 18th seed Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 in the third round.

A year ago, it seemed as if Ivanovic may be emerging from a prolonged slump after making it to the Paris semi-finals for the first time since her title run.

However, the Serbian 14th seed’s form has nosedived over the past 12 months and she has since failed to progress past the third round of the subsequent four Major tournaments.

Play was later suspended by rain. Serena Williams was 6-4, 6-6 up against France’s Kristina Mladenovic on Court Philippe Chatrier when heavy showers forced them to abandon play.

On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Venus Williams was leading another Frenchwoman, Alize Cornet, 2-1 in the first set. — Reuters