Mutua Madrid Open - an ATP Masters 1000 category tournament, on Red Clay, in Madrid, Spain, 4-11 May 2019.
Defending champion:
Alexander Zverev (2) who defeated Dominic Thiem (5) 6-4 6-4
Quarter finals
- Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5)
Thiem is one of the rare players to have a winning head to head record over Federer, 3-2, including a win in the Indian Wells final earlier this year.
Today, Federer was off to a fast start, holding serve in the opening game, an ace the first point, a backhand winner the last. Thiem was up 40-30 after a forehand winner, in an attempt to level, but a double fault and a forehand error gave Federer a break point. It was saved by a winning Austrian off forehand. Another bad miss, this from the Thiem backhand, presented Federer with a second break chance. A long forehand and the break arrived.
Federer was flying.
A serve volley play won the opening point of game three for Federer, and he zipped through a love game to lead 3-0. So far 100% first serves landing. Thiem responded with a love game to begin his scoring, but his opponent was a renowned front runner, and his serving was impeccable in this set. Thiem didn’t face another break point for the set, but having surrendered two points in his opening service game, Federer gave up just one more on serve in reaching 5-2.
Serving at 5-3 for the set, Federer stood at 40-15, with two set points following a pair of Thiem forehand mistakes, and an ace. One was saved, the second not, as a forehand from Austria landed long. Federer ahead 6-3 after 29 minutes of quality tennis, based around a splendid serving exhibition.
Set two was more to Thiem’s liking, as he appeared to be in control for the most part. Opening with a love game, he then placed pressure on the Federer serve for the first time. The first Swiss double fault was countered by a service winner, but two excellent returns resulted in Federer errors and gave Thiem two break points. Federer, as is usually the case, served his way out of trouble, saving the second break point with a terrific volley. He held serve, a lovely forehand sealing the game.
It was Federer again who had to face the only other break points in the second set. Game six saw Thiem gather three chances after Federer volleyed into the net, hit a backhand wide, and double faulted. All break points were saved - a Thiem netted backhand return, a Thiem wide forehand, and a Thiem backhand return floating long. Once more, Thiem saw chances go begging. 0 for 5 break points converted.
3-3 morphed into 6-6:and a tie break.
Thiem lost the opening point on his own serve, but was back in the thick of it, after winning the sixth point on the Federer delivery.
Serving at 4-5, Federer just had to watch helpless, as Thiem wipped a forehand winner down the line and brought up two set points, the first one on Federer’s serve. Federer won that point, but Thiem still had the chance on his serve. Federer snuffed that one out with a genius drop shot. 6-6.
The next ten points went to serve, with Federer having two match points in that stretch, one at 8-7, the other one at 10-9, each on the Thiem serve, and both saved.
At 11-11, Thiem won the point, importantly on the Swiss serve, and would now serve for the set. He won the point, and the set 7-6(11) - the match was even.
Federer survived three deuces and a break point to hold serve in the opening game of the decider and was in more strife in game three. Down 0-40 after a volley error, a forehand error, and a Thiem passing forehand, Federer saved two of the break points, but couldn’t do the triple and a forehand mistake cost him the game. 2-1 Thiem.
Thiem saved two break points when consolidating, and led 3-1.
At 4-3, Thiem let Federer back in the set, when he lost his serve, but he immediately struck back for a 5-4 scoreline.
Serving at 5-4 for the match, Thiem hit a forehand winner, a service winner, and an ace to have three match points. Federer saved one with a classic forehand winner, but his long backhand ended proceedings.
Dominic Thiem, after losing the opening set, won the quarter final 3-6 7-6(11) 6-4.
- Novak Djokovic (1) was given a walkover by Marin Cilic (9) who withdrew through gastroenteritis.
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) defeated Alexander Zverev (3) 7-5 3-6 6-2
- Rafa Nadal (2) defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-1 6-2
Semi final match ups
Novak Djokovic (1) v Dominic Thiem (5)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Rafa Nadal (2)
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