2020 Australian Open QF: Rafael Nadal vs. Dominic Thiem

[don_fabio]

Thiem is moving forward unbelievably good. He just propells and catches dropshots.

 

[Ricardo]

Long way back for Nadal now, likely the first of the big 3 to exit.....

 

[Bonaca]

That is it. Wow , austria looks very confident.
Nadal is fighting but not dictating.

 

[don_fabio]

Even if Nadal makes a break it means almost nothing to Thiem. First set when Nadal served for it and Thiem broke him was crucial. You have to beat big 3 with the way they beat you, just find a way into the match.

 

[Federberg]

I'm enjoying Thiem's spade work personally.

me too! Have no fear. I just love that backhand

 

[Federberg]

not sure I've ever seen Rafa this discombobulated before. Is this a sands of time thing? I remember when Roger started getting like this

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Well I had to sleep tonight. Wanted to get up at 3:30. Just couldn't do it yet again. Thought I might regret it on this one. And I do. Looks like it's been great. Just caught the last 3 points of the second set tiebreak to now.

Nice to see Thiem broke back to stay in it and force a tiebreak in the first set.

Was really hoping he'd be able to bring it like this tonight and make this close like the US Open 2018. Dominic may not be at his best on hard courts always. But it's still not Nadal on clay over five sets. That's always gonna be easier. And while Rafa has made more finals here, he's also lost more of those finals and lost (or retired) more in quarters and semis here. He hasn't lost a quarter at the US Open since 2006. He's lost 5 quarters here since then. One semi at both since then.

None of which means Rafa can't continue to battle and win this thing in five. He'd love to get it done. The commentators giving the stat that he's never come back from 2 sets to love against a top 10 player. He's done it twice at Wimbledon in 2006 and 2007. And once against Ljubicic in Madrid (don't remember the year). But it would have had to have been when 5 sets was still allowed at Masters so... before the move to clay I think.

Thiem looks so good though. Really believes. Which is half the battle against the greats. 95 to 94 points for Thiem over Rafa before the start of this Thiem service game at 3-4. That's how tough this game is. A single point of difference and he's won more games in this set and is down 2 sets. But Thiem... just moving so well. FInally in his prime. And that's finally extending past the French. The difficulty for him is, if he wins this match, he could just as easily lose it to Zverev. Zverev just totally unlocking Wawrinka after getting HAMMERED in the first set was really impressive. I didn't finish it. But it was still huge.

 

[Bonaca]

I hope we see these two in Roland Garros QF or SF against each other.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Nadal serving phenomenally if you ask me. And in his usual fashion, he's not giving Thiem anything. Making him serve to stay in the set now. Could just as easily find a break and steal this set.

 

[AnonymousFan]

Two SPs for Nadal, and he takes the 3rd set

 

[tenisplayrla08]

And there it is. Thiem misses two first serves. Rafa wins both points with top notch aggressive returns and second shots. Good first serve from Thiem to get a point. A missed backhand gives Nadal the break/set points. Thiem saves one with a great first serve. Misses another first serve. Rafa able to hang in the point until Thiem misses another backhand.

We'll have a fourth.

 

[don_fabio]

More battling here. I really like the matchup. Let the better player win.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Too bad I can't watch, but it was very predictable (in a good way) that this match was going to be a very tight, physical battle.

 

[tossip]

Thiem can rival Serena in the booty departnent..

 

[AnonymousFan]

Two BPs for Nadal

 

[Bonaca]

This is a war right now. Wow. Vamos Nadal!!!!

 

[don_fabio]

Thiem need to play more slices, it would do him good on many occasions.

 

[shawnbm]

Can’t watch it unfortunately, but I imagine the Spanish Bull will mount a comeback and take it to a fifth set.

 

[kskate2]

Just woke up. Nads in all kinds of poo

 

[shawnbm]

Rafa won third set but now see he’s down a break in the fourth. Wow. Thiem is up and Sasha just beat Stanislas. The young guys are finally stepping up it would appear.