By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, June 11, 2016
"To beat the greatest ever on his best surface you need a lot of luck. I really just cannot believe it," Dominic Thiem said after his 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 upset of top-seeded Roger Federer.
Photo credit: Mercedes Cup
The drive Dominic Thiem displayed in their two prior meetings impressed Roger Federer.
Today, Thiem showed determination and improvisational skills to send the top-seeded Swiss out of Stuttgart.
A tenacious Thiem denied two match points in the second-set tie break fighting off Federer, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, to advance to his first career grass-court final at the Mercedes Cup.
Federer: Age of Excitement
Thiem will take on either seventh-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber or wild card Juan Martin del Potro in tomorrow's final.
A month after Thiem defeated Federer, 7-6, 6-4, on the red clay of Rome he derailed the seven-time Wimbledon champion in his grass-court return.
It was Thiem's 15th victory in his last 17 matches and left the 22-year-old Austrian in a state of disbelief.
"I cannot believe it really," Thiem told Barbara Schett-Eagle afterward. "What a feeling especially on grass. It's absolutely a dream."
It was a frustrating defeat for Federer, who roared all the way back from a 0-5 deficit to level the second set then held match points at 6-5 and 7-6 in the tie break, but lost a net exchange on the first match point and was victimized by Thiem's brilliant one-handed backhand on the second.
The seventh-ranked Thiem is solidifying his status as a player for all surfaces. Fresh off his first career Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros, Thiem advanced to his fifth final of the season.
In a topsy-turvy match disrupted by a pair of rain delays, Thiem showed a strong sense of self-belief after squandering his second-set lead, saving a pair of match points in the second-set tie break and denying a couple of break points in his opening service games of the final set.
"I was so nervous," Thiem said. "Obviously, I got really nervous at 5-0 in the second set. To beat the greatest ever on his best surface you need a lot of luck. I really just cannot believe it."
This third meeting of the season between the pair on as many different surfaces provided periods of attacking tennis from both men.
The Federer forehand produced the first break of the match. Bouncing on his toes, Federer met a serve on the rise and ripped a forehand return right off the baseline, breaking for 3-1.
The top seed saved a break point in the seventh game. Two games later, Federer flicked a forehand volley down the line for set point. Crunching a crosscourt forehand into the corner, Federer served out the 28-minute opener at love.
Federer flubbed a smash off the back black wall to face break point. Thiem tossed up a beautiful running lob winner that nestled inside the baseline, breaking for a 2-0 second-set lead.
The 22-year-old Austrian broke again for 4-0 as Federer missed successive volleys, eventually extending to 5-0.
Serving for the set again, Thiem fell into a double break-point hole. He saved the first but sailed a backhand down the line on the second as Federer scored his second straight break for 4-5.
Staying low bump a slick half-volley drop shot winner, Thiem blocked a backhand volley winner to stop his slide of five straight games, holding for 6-5.
Tension heightened in the tie break as the pair traded double faults for 3-all. Adjusting to a tricky return off the tape, Federer showed soft hands redirecting a volley for 5-all.
Digging a half volley, Federer anticipated the pass, covered the line and blocked a full-stretch forehand volley for match point.
Thiem denied it winning a net exchange as Federer's lob failed to clear the Austrian's head and the Swiss netted a backhand volley off Thiem's reply.
On his second match point, Federer serve-and-volleyed behind a second serve only to be burned by a brilliant Thiem backhand return pass for 7-all. Federer made a mess of a drop shot attempt he put into the middle of the net, donating the mini break and a set point.
Streaking forward, Thiem thumped a smash to seal a topsy-turvy second set and level the match. Light rain increased and both players left the court.
After about a half-hour rain delay, play resumed.
In the seventh game, a full-stretch forehand stab volley brought Federer to 30-all. Thiem blasted a backhand winner crosscourt for break point.
Anticipating a Thiem pass, Federer was on top of the net and in prime position for the volley, but blocked a forehand volley into the top of the tape. Thiem broke for 4-3 as Federer slapped the top of the net with his racquet in frustration.
Powering through a strong hold, Thiem sealed a 5-3 lead with an ace.
On match point, a mis-hit Thiem forehand fell inside the baseline and a few shots later Federer whipped a wide backhand down the line ending a pulsating one hour, 57-minute match.