New US Open champion Dominic Thiem refuses to be outclassed but instead continued from where he left off in New York as he successfully breezed past Croatia’s Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in Paris on Monday.
The Austrian who has been runner-up twice in the previous event in Paris was initially worried about the letdown that typically comes after achieving a lifelong dream but did what was expected of him in a tricky opener in the French capital.
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Watch the match highlights below
Thiem, who triumphed over Cilic at the US Open earlier this month in the third round, is now 4-0 overall against the Croatian in career meetings.
“I didn’t want to lose too much tension after my victory in New York and I’m really how I did it, really happy with my first round. I was facing another great champion today, so the transition to the clay and to the cold conditions worked out really well,” says Thiem, who didn’t play any matches on clay between the US Open and Roland-Garros.
“I love the conditions because I’m from Austria, so I know how it is to play in these cold conditions. Back in juniors and when I started to play Futures, it was always like that, 10, 15 degrees cold, so I love it when it’s not too fast, so I can be a little bit behind the baseline, make a lot of returns in court. I feel well and I felt well from the first moment I came here again this year, so I’m looking forward to an exciting second round.”
Thiem will next face American qualifier Jack Sock, who beat his countryman Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Stan Wawrinka sends Murray packing in the first round
After 21 years since Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Michael Chang (Former Grand Slam champions) met in the first round of the men’s singles draw at Roland-Garros, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray did in 2020.
Murray and Stan (each three-time Grand Slam champions) contested their 21st career meeting on Court Philippe-Chatrier and it was Wawrinka – the man that put the animal in Stanimal – who trounced Murray 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.
“I know I can be aggressive,” Wawrinka says after his one hour and 37 minutes triumph.
“I know I can put some heavy balls out there, and I can keep playing heavy balls each ball. That’s important, the way I’m playing, focusing on keeping my game. I’m happy with it.”
For Wawrinka (2015 champion), this contest was a stark contrast to many of the pair’s previous encounters compared to when he took down Murray in five gruelling sets the last time they shared the centre court in Paris in 2017.
“We actually practised the first day I arrived here, and it was a tough practice. So I was expecting a tough match,” Wawrinka says.
“I was really focused, with a champion like Andy, even if the scoreboard is only one side like today, you have to keep focus. You never know what can happen.”
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