REMEMBER THIS NAME DOMINIC THIEM , YOUNG GUN TAKES OUT ERNESTS GULBIS @ THE US OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 29th August 2014

REMEMBER THIS NAME DOMINIC THIEM , YOUNG GUN TAKES OUT ERNESTS GULBIS @ THE US OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

epa04374832 Ernests Gulbis of Latvia leaves the court after losing in five sets to Dominic Thiem of Austria during the fifth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 29 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JASON SZENES |

Thiem takes advantage of hobbled friend for comeback win at U.S. Open

It was a day of firsts for Dominic Thiem; his first five-setter, his first comeback from two sets down, and his first trip to the third round of a Grand Slam.

But it could have been so much better.

All of those aforementioned accomplishments came at the expense of Thiem’s best friend on tour, Ernests Gulbis. The 20-year-old Austrian overcame a hobbled Gulbis 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday in Flushing Meadows. Thiem withstood 20 aces off his opponent’s racket and came back from the brink of defeat after earning his very first break of the match at 5-4 in the third set.

“It’s first time zero to two sets; first time (I’ve played) five sets,” Thiem said. “I would prefer it against everybody else, but not him. I would be happier if it would have happened against someone else.”

That’s because Thiem and Gulbis are constant practice partners and share coach Gunter Bresnik, who was in attendance but looking somewhat undercover sitting in the 10th row in the middle of a packed crowd.

Nobody–not Thiem, not Gulbis, and not Bresnik–liked the circumstances surrounding the outcome. Although Thiem played consistently solid, the result had a lot to do with the fact that Gulbis suffered physically from the end of the third set until the match’s conclusion.

“It wasn’t an injury,” Gulbis explained. “I started to have cramps. I thought that I pulled a muscle in the end of the third set, but I didn’t pull it. It was just really tight; all the hip area. So after that it was just a struggle. It was simply a struggle. I couldn’t play anymore. That’s it.

Dominic Thiem of Austria (R) and Ernests Gulbis of Latvia shake hands at the net after their match during the fifth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 29 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JASON SZENES

“A lot of my energy went on the mental part, the nerves that start before the match. It took a lot of energy from me. Probably if I would play somebody else I would be more relaxed. Then probably I wouldn’t be so tired throughout the end of the third and fourth set.”

“It’s tough,” Thiem added. “I hated the situation.”

He will not, however, dislike his reward. He is through to Labor Day weekend and will play Feliciano Lopez on Sunday for a place in the last 16.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Dominic Thiem, Ernests Gulbis, Ricky Dimon, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls_com says:

August 29, 2014 at 7:46 pm

REMEMBER THIS NAME DOMINIC #THIEM, YOUNG GUN TAKES OUT ERNESTS #GULBIS @ THE @usopen BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/aSGjDAfiOx #USOpen #ATP
RD_Tennistalk says:

August 29, 2014 at 9:13 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: REMEMBER THIS NAME DOMINIC #THIEM, YOUNG GUN TAKES OUT ERNESTS #GULBIS @ THE @usopen BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/aSGjD…
Vamosgirl1 says:

August 29, 2014 at 9:50 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: REMEMBER THIS NAME DOMINIC #THIEM, YOUNG GUN TAKES OUT ERNESTS #GULBIS @ THE @usopen BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/aSGjD…