It was Day Eleven at Indian Wells, and men’s Semi Finals.
BNP Paribas Open - an ATP Masters 1000 category tournament, on Hard Plexipave, in Indian Wells, California, USA, 4-17 March 2019.
Defending champion:
Juan Martin del Potro (6) who defeated Roger Federer (1) 6-4 6-7(8) 7-6(2)
ATP semi finals
- Dominic Thiem (7) v Milos Raonic (13)
The pair had met twice previously, with Raonic successful each time, but those matches were in 2016, so much had changed since then.
Raonic served first, to an opponent yet to drop a set this week.
Unsurprisingly an ace from the Canadian began proceedings. A second ace and a winning serve volley move helped Raonic to 1-0.
Thiem was quite happy to surrender nothing in levelling at 1-1, a forehand winner mixed in with a series of Canadian mistakes.
So content with his own delivery was the Austrian, that he won 28 of 31 points when at the line in the opening stanza.
Milos was ok too, but 69% was nowhere near as impressive. Despite the stats differential, no break points raised their ugly head for either player, and only one trip to deuce was taken - Raonic in game five.
The tie break was a Thiem benefit.
A double fault from Raonic was generous and gave Thiem a mini break 1-0. Points went to serve until 1-3 when the Canadian was passed by a Thiem forehand down the line. At 5-1, following an incredible Austrian backhand down the line, Thiem threw in a poor lob and 5-2 represented just the original single mini break.
At 3-5, Raonic messed up a basic overhead at the net, producing three set points for Thiem. A wide serve to the Raonic backhand was enough, the return landing out. Thiem up a set 7-6(3).
Set two saw Raonic with the better percentage of points won on serve (83%), yet he was the player faced with the only break point of the set (game four). Not to worry though, as that chance for Thiem was blown away with Raonic’s seventh ace.
The ninth game was a little tricky for Thiem, taken to deuce twice, the first excursions he’d taken there so far in the match. He returned unscathed and ultimately a second tie break arrived.
Seven points came and went without too much drama, all to the server.
At 3-4, a net cord left Thiem without a chance and the luck gave Raonic a vital edge. A forehand off the Austrian racquet floated long and Raonic had three set points, the first one on his serve.
A backhand return landed wide and sets were tied 6-7(3) 7-6(3)
In the decider, two love games settled the scoreboard at 2-2, and another no break set was ominous.
Until, that is, Thiem decided to upset the Canadian apple cart. The first break chance at 30-40 died from injuries suffered in a Raonic serve. He will be charged with excessive speed.
The second break opportunity was confirmed once Raonic hit the net, and Thiem led 3-2.
At 4-5, Raonic had a chance to break back, but in replying to a less than acceptable Thiem drop shot, the 13th seed hit it out of court.
The first match point arrived once Raonic hit the net with a forehand, but a netted backhand from Austria kept the match alive.
An authoritative forehand winner produced a second match point for Thiem and a backhand volley won him the contest 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 6-4.
Dominic Thiem entered his third Masters 1000 final, first on a hard court.
- A knee injury suffered late in his quarter final win over Khachanov, wasn’t sufficiently healed, so Rafa Nadal (2) handed a walkover to Roger Federer (4) in their semi final.
The final will be
Dominic Thiem (7) v Roger Federer (4)
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