By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday April 26, 2022
Dominic Thiem's comeback hit another road block in Estoril, where he lost to Benjamin Bonzi.
Photo Source: AP
Dominic Thiem’s comeback took another step on Tuesday in Portugal, but the wins will have to wait. The former World No.3 fell to France’s Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 7-6(9) at the Millenium Estoril Open.
Thiem, who lost in the opening round at Belgrade last week, drops to 0-2 on the season, but he can take some confidence in his performance in the second set, which saw him earn three set points in the tiebreak, before eventually falling in one hour and 46 minutes.
Thiem never did see a break point against Bonzi, and he struggled to find the range on his forehand, particularly in the opening set. But it’s not surprising that he is still shaking off the rust, given that he was playing just his second ATP level match since last June, when he injured his right wrist against Adrian Mannarino in Mallorca.
For now, Thiem will have to content himself with the fact that he is getting his feet underneath him, and reacclimating himself to elite-level match competition.
According to his website, Thiem plans to play a full schedule leading up to Roland Garros, which will put him at Madrid next, then Rome, then Geneva, before Roland-Garros.
Bonzi, playing at a career-high ranking of No.58, improves to 9-8 on the season. The Frenchman will face either Sebastian Korda or Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round.