	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

CHINA OPEN

October 4, 2019

Dominic Thiem

Beijing, China

D. THIEM/A. Murray

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk about how you feel right now in this tournament? We have the impression that you recovered a good level after a so-so U.S. campaign.
DOMINIC THIEM: I feel very good. Three matches were great, especially today. I think one of my best matches of the year.

I mean, was a tough time tennis-wise US Open and before. Every bad side has also its good side. I had a great period of practice. From Laver Cup on, I felt great again. I felt that my tennis is coming back.

It's good this week. Of course, I hope that it can continue like this.

Q. You had three double-faults serving for the match to get broken. How were you able to bounce back to win the match?
DOMINIC THIEM: I was serving great throughout the whole match. Somehow I felt that it cannot end too easy. I mean, against Andy, he's such a good return player. You feel under pressure all the time. That's what I also felt.

I won the first points on my serve throughout the whole match, then suddenly it was Love-15 for the first time. It was not easy to deal with that. I was frustrated for a little while, for one game.

I really got calm again. I played a great game to get in the tiebreak. Then I reached my old level again. That was a good thing to bounce back like that.

Q. On the note of Murray being such a great serve returner, how were you able to have so much success holding serve throughout the match?
DOMINIC THIEM: I had a great percentage on the first serve. Then I was also playing well the following shots because I was most of the time in the offense because of the good serves.

Then the other thing is what I said before: I was able to make all the time the first point, the first two points. If you're up 15 or 30-Love, it's easier to play.

Q. Probably a special season for you because you separate with your historic coach. You work now with Massu. Talk about the work you do with him right now and about your feeling to separate with Gunther.
DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, I mean, the thing with separation was after a long period. I think it was time. It was the best decision for me personally.

With Nico, we didn't know each other so we started brand-new before Indian Wells. We had great success straightaway.

Now we know each other, we start to know each other, start to know what's best for me in the practices. It's important.

Things are going very well. I think I'm probably having the best season of my career so far points-wise and also results-wise. I think I'm on the right way. I'm looking forward for everything what comes next.

Q. One word about your next opponent, Karen Khachanov. What could be the key of the game for you?
DOMINIC THIEM: We had two matches in the past, Paris Bercy and Roland Garros. I think both matches were pretty one way, in Paris for Karen, Roland Garros for me.

I think I played a good tactic in Roland Garros, so I'll try to approach the match similar. But he's top 10. He's a great player. You never know what's going to happen.

But I try to put on my best tennis on the court, try to follow the great matches like I did in the first three rounds, then we'll see.

Q. Obviously Andy is still not at his best. How would you assess him now?
DOMINIC THIEM: From Andy?

Q. Yes.
DOMINIC THIEM: I was very impressed today. But on the same time I knew that he's going to play very well because you don't beat players like Berrettini or Norrie for a reason. Also last week he was the only one to push de Minaur to the limit on the way to de Minaur's title.

I expected that he's going to play well. It's just impressive how he's coming back from his tough injury. It's great for everybody. It's great for us players, great for tennis in general. If he continues to play like in this week, we'll see him pretty soon on the top top again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297