Again, Dominic Thiem didn’t win. Dominic Thiem also lost out in the fourth game after the return. At the Madrid Open, Scottish veteran Andy Murray was a size too big. In the first round of the ATP 1000 clay court tournament in Madrid, the Lower Austrian had to beat the Scottish veteran Andy Murray 3: 6, 4: 6 and is still waiting for his first win in an ATP tournament since May 12, 2021. That is certain : For the first time since March 3, 2014, the long-injured Lower Austrian will no longer appear in the top 100 in the coming week.
In the duel of the former world number one from Great Britain with the former number three in the world on the well-attended Center Court Thiem ward off a breakball in the second game of the first set. After that he found his way into the game and also showed some improved forehand shots. Of old precision Thiem but still far away. Murray, who was strong on serve, got the first break to make it 4:2 in a thoroughly entertaining game. At a score of 3:5 from sight Thiems a 30-0 lead didn’t help either, Murray finally served to win the set.
Thiem was unable to stop the many unforced forehand errors after his long injury in his right wrist in the second set either. This cost him, among other things, a possible break to make it 2-0, in which wildcard owner Murray was able to fend off three break balls and still had the upper hand after 10:30 minutes. As a result, Thiem also gave up his service game. He wasn’t supposed to recover from that. Murray (34), , who has been thrown back by injuries in recent years, finally served to make it 6: 4.
A total of 33 unforced errors, 24 of them with the forehand, was ultimately too much for a solid playing Murray, currently number 78 in the world Thiem. The next chance for a win is already in the coming week. At the Masters in Rome, Thiem wants to make the next attempt at the long-awaited sense of achievement on sand.
