VIENNA OPEN: DOMINIC THIEM TO FACE ADREY RUBLEV IN QUARTER-FINAL

Austria’s Dominic Thiem has continued his super form in his quest to defend the Vienna Open without dropping a set so far as he takes on World No.8 Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The World No.3, Thiem who won his first maiden Major trophy at the US Open, kicked- off his home tournament with a straight -sets victory over Vitality Sachko. In a game the match was closer than scoreline due to Sachko performance. Thiem had to improve his game with both hitting hard at each other, but Thiem came out victorious at the end.

Thiem’s improving form has obviously put the losing in the last eight of the French Open behind him. No wonder!, in his next match, he outclassed Chilean, Cristian Garim losing only 10 points on serve in a comfortable win.

However, he faces a tough challenge against intense Russian Andrey Rublev who has gained enough experience with four titles in 2020, winning two of them at ATP 500 events in Hamburg and St.Petersberg recently.

Rublev will be seeking for his fifth title of the year as he has maintained fine form brushing aside Sloavakia’s Norbert Gombos in his first game in Austria. In a match that expectation was high, unfortunately rising Italian star, Jannik Sinner retired in the round of 16 due to foot injury, although Sinner was 2-1 down in the opening set in Vienna.

 For sure the match between Thiem and Andrey Rublev at the Erste Bank Open promises to be an entertaining and tough one, considering the head-to-head 2-1. They both met at Vienna three years with Thiem winning. The Austrian homeboy in this tournament has maintained same class which he used in winning in Monte Carlo in 2018, before Rublev got an upset win in the quarterfinal of the 2019 Hamburg Open.