Tennis: Top five memorable wins of Dominic Thiem

The Austrian star has caused many upsets in his career.

Dominic Thiem is one of the most promising young players in tennis today. The 27-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the ATP rankings and is the second-highest ranked Austrian player in history. He has played in the finals of three major Grand Slams and was also the winner of the 2020 US Open.

Moreover, He has also won 17 ATP titles in his career. Today, we take the time to look at some of the biggest wins that helped him cement himself in the top five of men's tennis:

5. Dominic Thiem Vs Nick Kyrgios ( Australian Open 2021, Third Round)

Dominic Thiem clashed against Nick Kyrgios in this year's Australian Open. The third round match saw a great contest between the two. Thiem had entered the tournament as the third seed, while local lad Kyrgios was unseeded.The match started off with Kyrgios taking the first two sets and piling on the pressure. But, Thiem not being one to crumble, took the third and fourth sets making it even at 2-2. The final set saw the Austrian making a single break to seal the match. The match was filled with momentum shifts, edge-of-the-seat excitement and groundstroke rockets, with Thiem finally gaining the upper hand. It ended with a scoreline of 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in favour of the third seed.

4. Dominic Thiem Vs Denis Kudla ( Australian Open 2018, Second Round)

He met American Denis Kudla in the second round of the Australian Open in 2018. The fifth seeded Thiem was the favourite to win, but little did he expect such resistance from the unranked American.

Kudla won the first two sets, winning the first one in a well-contested tiebreaker. The second one however saw Thiem on the back foot, with Kudla dictating the pace and winning the set comfortably. Not deterred by the oncoming onslaught and on the verge of an early exit, the Austrian picked it up from the third set. He was relentless and took the remaining three sets in devastating fashion, leaving Kudla with no opening. The match ended 6-7, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 with Thiem moving on to the third round.

3. Dominic Thiem Vs Alex Bolt ( Australian Open 2020, Second Round)

Another Australian Open, another second round match and another tough foe. Except this time in place of an American, it was an Australian in the form of Alex Bolt. A wildcard entry into the tournament, Bolt held his own against the fifth-seeded Thiem. The Austrian took the first set, but Bolt came back to take the second and third.Dominic took the fourth set convincingly to give way to a decider. The fifth set however, was very much a one-sided affair and saw Thiem completely decimating the Austrian challenger. The five-set match finally ended with a scoreline of 6-2, 5-7, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 with the Austrian progressing to the next round.

2. Dominic Thiem Vs Novak Djokovic ( 2019 French Open, Semi-Final)

Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic met in the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2019. It took the Austrian nearly four-and-a-quarter hours over two windy, rain-interrupted days, but he finally managed to get the job done. This victory over Djokovic took him to his second straight French Open final.The match was decorated with supremely athletic rallies and virtuoso shot-making, but it ultimately came down to a test of nerves for the competitors. Djokovic saved two match points in the deciding set, as Theim served for the match at 5-3. He hit a barrage of 52 winners on his way to victory. The final set saw Thiem fully controlling the game as he powered to a 4-1 lead. The match stopped right at this time, as the rain came down again. After a 70-minute delay, the match resumed again with Djokovic coming back to tie the contest at 5-5. But, it was a little too late for World No. 1, as the Austrian finally put an end to the match with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 victory.

1. Dominic Thiem Vs Alexander Zverev ( 2020 US Open, Final)

His first and only Grand Slam victory came in the 2020 US Open final. The Austrian collided with Germany's Alexander Zverev, who was playing in his first Grand Slam final. The second-seeded Thiem took on the fourth ranked Zverev in a four-hour-and-two-minute thriller.

Thiem used all of his skills and experience to win his first Grand Slam. The German put him under pressure from the getgo, taking the first two sets. However, the 27-year-old did not concede under pressure. He fought back to take the third and fourth sets, forcing a decider.

The fifth set was the best of the lot. Both players got to serve for the match, but neither could finish it off. The match finally went to a tiebreaker, with each set more competitive than the one preceding it. It saw four breaks of serve in the final five games and 15 in total. The match finally ended with the scoreboard reading 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

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