Former world number 3 Dominic Thiem says he feels his forehand really works for the first time since returning from a wrist injury. On Monday, Thiem returned strongly by defeating Portuguese Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the Gijon Championship.
After 10 months, Tim returned to tennis at the end of March. In his first match in Gijon, Thiem put on a display that reminded him of his best days, when he was among the top 5 players and a contender for Grand Slam titles.
“It was a great match, and for the first time in a long time I felt that the ratio between easy mistakes and the right pace, really aggressive play, was good.
Especially with the forehand, it was really excellent for the first time [depuis ma blessure], so I’m very happy with that. The gameplay is good, the direction is good, as well as the way of focusing and the way I kept myself from the first point to the last was good and I will try to continue like this,” Tim said, according to the website ATP.
Crush Susa Theme
Tim got off to a fast start, breaking Sousa in games three and seven to easily win the opening set. After breaking Sousa twice in the first set, Thiem was more dominant in the second as the Portuguese broke three times to claim a clear win in straight sets.
Thiem continues a strong run as he reached the semi-finals with a convincing victory over Francisco Cerondolo 6-4 6-3 in the quarter-finals in Gijon.
