Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday set a blockbuster second-round Wimbledon showdown with two-time champion Andy Murray when he battled past former World No. 3 Dominic Them in a roller-coaster five-setter played over two days.
Despite trailing by a set overnight — the match was suspended due to rain Tuesday seven games into the second set — Tsitsipas played well upon the resumption Wednesday, while his opponent faltered. The Greek appeared in full control up two sets to one and a break point in the first game of the fourth set, but he was made to overcome a spirited comeback from Thiem to escape 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6 (10-8) after three hours and 55 minutes.
“It was pretty stressful, I won’t lie. We were out there, I don’t know how many hours… for a second I thought we were doing the repeat of Isner-Mahut,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview. “It felt forever. Obviously super glad that it went my way.
“Dominic is someone who has brought the best out of me every single time that we’ve had the opportunity to play each other. And it was quite frustrating at the same time. But this is tennis. I mean, we both fought hard today. We put out a show. Hope everyone enjoyed it.”
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Tsitsipas was in dire straits at 3-3 in the deciding set, when his surging opponent, earned break point at 30/40. The 24-year-old hit a ball that was called long, but overruled by the chair umpire. Thiem challenged unsuccessfully and Tsitsipas was able to battle through the game to hold serve.
From there, Tsitsipas, whose girlfriend and WTA star Paula Badosa was in his box after earning her own victory, clicked back into gear. The fifth seed was unable to convert a match point on return at 6-5, which Thiem saved with a heavy crosscourt forehand. He then missed another opportunity at 9/7 in the ensuing tie-break when he nervously left a ball short, allowing the Austrian to crush a forehand winner.
But the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion did not let slip his third opportunity, hitting a forehand passing shot for a winner to seal his win.
“Dominic is a tough competitor,” Tsitsipas said. “I wish him all the best in the future.”
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With the win, Tsitsipas levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Thiem at 5-5. Earlier this year in Madrid, the Greek triumphed in another final-set tie-break.
It will not get easier when Tsitsipas returns to action against former World No. 1 Murray, who lost just four games in his opening match against Ryan Peniston. The pair has split two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, including a five-setter Tsitsipas won at the 2021 US Open.
“I’m not expecting anyone’s support,” Tsitsipas said, eliciting roars of laughter from the crowd. “That’s not my first rodeo… I’ll share something with you, a few years ago when I was a kid, I remember witnessing his first Wimbledon title and thinking about it now kind of gives me goosebumps because I kind of felt what he went through during that final. And it was so difficult for him to close that last game and every time I rewatch that moment, I just feel shivers all over my body.”
Thiem, No. 91 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is now 7-15 in 2023 and has won a match at just one major (2021 Australian Open, R16) since winning the 2020 US Open. But the Austrian will depart London with confidence after putting together one of his most encouraging performances of the season.