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By Chris Oddo | Friday May 11, 2018


Dominic Thiem didn’t just end Rafael Nadal’s run of 50 consecutive sets won on clay to go with 21 straight matches won on the surface on Friday. He obliterated it, and in the process served a hearty reminder that the Spaniard isn’t the only player that can routinely make jaws drop on a clay court.

Thiem rolled past Nadal, 7-5, 6-3, to book his spot in the Madrid semifinals, but it wasn’t just the victory that has piqued the curiosity of tennis fans—it was the brilliance of his effort.


Thiem avenged a 6-0, 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Nadal a few weeks ago at Monte-Carlo and became just the third player to own three wins on clay against Nadal (Djokovic, 7, Gaudio 3).

“My attitude made the difference,” Thiem told reporters after the match. “In Monte Carlo I got killed, but today I stepped on the court to win.”


The Austrian played bold tennis from start to finish and was the player who drove the bus in the majority of the pair’s rallies, cracking 29 winners—many of the hair-raising variety—to just 12 for Nadal. Thiem took control of a close first set when he converted his third break point by forcing a Nadal forehand error for 4-3, but he needed two chances to serve out the opener before finally making it count.

T
hiem broke for a second time for 6-5 in the opening set when Nadal netted an easy crosscourt forehand from the mid-court, a sign that all was not right for the indomitable Spaniard on this day.

Thiem played valiantly in the closing moments, executing serve-and-volley to perfection to earn a second set point, then sealing the set with an ace out wide.

In the second set Nadal’s troubles continued. He committed six unforced errors in a sloppy third game and Thiem sealed his third of five breaks on the day when Nadal pushed a forehand wide of the tram line to hand the 24-year-old a 2-1 advantage.

Never say die Nadal broke back for 3-3 but his momentum was short-lived on this day. Thiem re-committed to his ground game and overpowered Nadal to take the final three games of the match. The Austrian hammered an inside-out forehand to clinch the victory and become the first man to defeat Nadal since he did so himself at Rome last year.

Nadal also will relinquish the No.1 ranking to Roger Federer as a result of the defeat. But the Spaniard says the loss won’t alter his approach to the remainder of the clay-court season.


"This is not a drama,” Nadal said, who went on to win Roland Garros after falling to Thiem at Rome last season. “I won 50 consecutive sets on this surface. Now I lost. I'm not gonna do a lot of things different because of this.”

Thiem’s triumph may do little to affect Nadal’s confidence as he prepares to play on slower clay and more favorable conditions in Rome and Roland Garros, but the victory should be a boon for Thiem, who has long been considered a potential rival for Nadal not just on the clay, but at Roland Garros.

Thiem has reached back-to-back Roland Garros semifinals now. In 2016 he took just seven games off eventual champion Novak Djokovic; last season he took just seven off of Nadal.

His ability to deliver eye-opening wins on the surface, and more specifically his willingness to ramp up his aggression against Nadal, shows that he is a player very much willing to make the adjustments that will take him closer to becoming a true title contender in Paris.

If there is any drama on the men’s side this clay-court season we may have seen it today. How quickly can Thiem unlock his potential and does he have what it takes to repeat his performance against Nadal?

With a potential quarterfinal at Rome looming again, we may know more by this time next week.

In the meantime, Thiem will prepare to face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the semifinals. Anderson defeated Dusan Lajovic to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal on Friday.

 

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