By Chris Oddo | Tuesday March 28, 2016
Novak Djokovic battled past Dominic Thiem, saving 14 of 15 break points to win in straight sets on Tuesday in Miami.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill
As far as straight-sets victories go, Novak Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over 22-year-old Dominic Thiem was anything but. The World No. 1 and the young Austrian battled tooth-and-nail for one hour and 50 minutes, through blistering rallies, tense moments and plenty of current changes. Djokovic emerged victorious, but not before absorbing a few titanic blows from the up-and-coming World No. 14 in their second career meeting.
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Djokovic saved 14 of 15 break points and finally converted his fourth match point at the end of an absorbing 15-minute game to clinch his spot in the quarterfinals, but it was Thiem’s name that was on the tip of everybody’s tongue after the match. With so much domination from tennis’s elite in recent years, tennis fans and pundits can’t resist drooling over a prospect that displays as much potential, both physical and mental, as Thiem.
Thiem has been turning heads for a few years now (see last year, Miami, or his five career titles), but as he matures it is becoming more apparent that he is destined to be a big-time player in the sport—maybe as soon as this spring when the tour moves to the European clay and he gets to play more big matches on his favorite surface.
Thiem was determined, offensive, and at times his strokes were so heavy that even the great defender Djokovic seemed taken aback by the depth of his shots and the height of the bounce of his topspin drives.
But let us not detract one bit from Djokovic’s performance. When the day started the Serb was tied with Thiem atop the ATP’s win list with 24. After his victory he sits alone, and moves to within three victories of claiming his fourth Indian Wells-Miami double and claiming a record 28th Masters 1000 title.
Though challenged consistently Djokovic, as he typically does, had all the answers on Tuesday.
Once ahead 2-0 in set one he saved eight break points in three separate games, including four in the ninth game, to hold serve and clinch the set.
In the second set Djokovic broke for 2-1 and let out a satisfied scream, perhaps because he felt that Thiem and his bristling game might finally dip and start to show cracks. But the Austrian, already in possession of two titles this season, did no such thing. Instead he doubled down and kept up the chase, finally converting on his 11th break point of the match when Djokovic tossed in a double-fault that allowed Thiem to draw level at 3-3 in set two.
Cracks did start to show in the next game as Thiem tossed in a clunker and was broken back immediately, but he showed great resolve and kept pushing in the ensuing games.
With Djokovic serving for the match at 5-4 Thiem would save three match points and earn four more break points, but each time Djokovic dug in and one-upped the young Austrian.
Eventually, as the game reached the 15-minute mark, the Serb made good on his fourth match point, crushing a forehand that forced an error from Thiem.
Djokovic, very satisfied with his effort, let his emotions show to his team before heading to the net for a nice exchange with Thiem. As the Austrian left the court, Djokovic led the crowd in hearty applause.
Djokovic will move on to face Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. Djokovic leads the head-to-head 22-2 vs. the Czech and has never lost to him on a hard court.