By Alberto Amalfi | Wednesday, January 3, 2018

 

Dominic Thiem drilled nine aces advancing to the Doha quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-4 win.

Photo credit: Qatar ExxonMobil Open

Dominic Thiem spent his offseason practices refining on his serve and return.

Today, Thiem rode a strong serve and some timely returns into the Doha quarterfinals.

More: Djokovic To Play Melbourne Exhibitions

The top-seeded Thiem drilled nine aces and broke serve in the final games of both sets dispatching Aljaz Bedene, 7-5, 6-4, at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open.

Thiem hit 14 winners off the ground, including 10 forehand winners, compared to five winners for his opponent.

“I knew it’s gonna be a tough match,” Thiem said in his on-court interview afterward. “We had two very close ones before so I expected a tough match and that’s exactly what it was. The first set was good. The second set I missed too many chances— finally on the eighth or ninth break point I closed it out. But in general I’m very happy.”

Thiem will face either fifth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet or 19-year-old Greek qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas for a semifinal spot.

The fifth-ranked Austrian broke to seize the opening set, but began over-hitting in the second set. Thiem failed to convert his first nine break points of the second set and served his way out of trouble denying break points in the seventh game.

Deploying a surprise serve-and-volley on a second serve, Thiem nudged a backhand volley then blocked a stretch forehand volley to save the second break point, eventually holding for 4-3. Replay later showed his second serve was slightly long.

Erasing two break points in the following game, Bedene was in the middle of the court when Thiem missed a backhand down the line on the third break point. Bedene fought off a fourth break point—at that point Thiem was two of 13 on break-point conversions in the tournament—and held on for 4-all.

Bedene hit a forehand approach down the line to fend off match point in the 10th game. Spraying a backhand wide, he faced a second match point.

Pounding his inside-out forehand into his opponent’s two-hander, Thiem drew a second straight backhand error to move into the Doha quarterfinals after one hour, 46 minutes. Thiem converted three of 15 break-point chances, including one of 10 in the second set.

“We did everything [in the offseason], but a lot of serving and returning,” Thiem said. “I think it did improve. I’m happy with serve and return today and also with the fitness. I think it did improve. In general, it was a good offseason and I’m happy for the new year.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina qualifier Mirza Basic saved all three break points he faced stunning eighth-seeded Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Basic served 65 percent and hit eight aces in an 84-minute victory.

The World No. 138 will face either Guido Pella or Italian qualifier Stefano Travaglia in the quarterfinals.

Russia's Andrey Rublev saved seven of 11 break points defeating Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Rublev will play Borna Coric for a spot in the final four.

Coric backed up his opening-round win over second-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta by crushing Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-1, 6-3.

The 20-year-old Rublev beat the 21-year-old Coric in their lone prior meeting at the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan last fall.