ROGER FEDERER FALLS TO THIEM IN ROME TENNIS, HIS STATUS FOR ROLAND GARROS IN DOUBT, HE STILL HAS ISSUES WITH HIS BACK

Written by: Staff on 12th May 2016

ROGER FEDERER FALLS TO THIEM IN ROME TENNIS, HIS STATUS FOR ROLAND GARROS IN DOUBT, HE STILL HAS ISSUES WITH HIS BACK

epa05301335 Switzerland's Roger Federer returns the ball to Austria's Dominic Thiem during their third round match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2016. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI |

By Ricky Dimon

Dominic Thiem brought Roger Federer’s brief run at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia to an end with a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory on Thursday afternoon. Thiem more than doubled his unforced error count (13) with winners (29) to advance in one hour and 18 minutes. He will go up against Kei Nishikori during quarterfinal action on Friday after Nishikori cruised past Richard Gasquet.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem returns the ball to Switzerland’s Roger Federer during their third round match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 12 May 2016. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI

“I’m very happy to be in the quarterfinals,” Thiem commented. “It was a very tricky match today. Of course [Federer] was not 100 percent, but still he played some very good points.”

As well as the 22-year-old Austrian played, the story for all intents and purposes was his opponent. Federer had recently withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open–his fourth withdrawal of 2016–so he used this Rome event to gauge his status for upcoming French Open. The 17-time major champion has been dealing with a back injury, but he was happy to get two matches under his belt on the red clay (he beat Alexander Zverev in straight sets in round one).

“Absolutely,” Federer said when asked if this was still a positive week for him. “I’m happy I was able to play and still feel about the same. That was most important…. It doesn’t matter how I played. (What’s) important is that I didn’t have any setbacks and that I was able to step on the tennis court. It was not really a tactical match for me, to be honest.

“I was limited because Thiem had completely the upper hand from the baseline. So I had to find other ways to win the point. That was interesting in itself; so I kind of enjoyed it from that aspect.”

The 34-year-old has not yet decided if he will stay in Rome, head to Roland Garros, or go back to Switzerland in the immediate future for practice, treatment, and general preparation for the season’s second Grand Slam. Next week’s ATP schedule includes 250-point tournaments in Geneva and Nice before the French Open begins on May 22.

“Now, obviously, time starts ticking more towards Paris,” Federer assured. “(The) next 10, 12 days are really going to be important for me to recover…. I’m confident and hopeful (to play the French Open) at the same time. But, as of now, clearly the way I’m playing is never going to be enough for any good run in Paris.”