"Thiem beats Medvedev in 3 sets to make finals against Zverev, should be great match."
Congrats, Thiem & Zverev...tough luck, Medvedev & Carreno-Busto. I doubt that I'll watch the first 2 sets of the men's final on TV. Just not in the mood to sit through a potential 5 set match featuring 2 players camped out 15 ft behind the baseline. Thiem was surprisingly efficient in his semi. The improvements to his game, especially his court positioning, are very notable. I do believe that he's been the biggest beneficiary of Andy Murray's physical decline.
Thiem could shut a lot of mouths if he wins the men's final, including mine. He has an interesting head-to-head record against the Big Three. Specifically, Fed is the only one with a losing 2-5 record against Thiem including a loss in a masters final. However, Thiem still has losing records of 4-7 and 5-9 against Djoker and Rafa respectively including no wins in finals.
So, I have to ask this group, just what does Thiem do better on court or between the ears than the Big Three???
I will concede this is backhand is better than Fed's. However, both Rafa and Djoker have been able to neutralize his forehand by taking the ball early and robbing him of time to set up, making him hit 3 or 4 backhands in a row to wear down that side, and serving bigger & better than Thiem at clutch times on the biggest stages. An unpopular opinion of mine is that Thiem needs to get in the gym and bulk up a lil from waist up. He can't hit through the Big Three like Stan Wawrinka when he's at this best.
#FactsMatter...your feelings not so much.
Updated On: 9/12/20 at 12:14 AM
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