Madrid Open 2022: Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem preview, head-to-head, odds, pick and prediction
Match details
Fixture: (WC) Andy Murray vs (PR) Dominic Thiem.
Tournament: Madrid Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Madrid, Spain.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €6,744,165.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem preview
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray will square off against 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in the first round of the 2022 Madrid Open on Monday.
Murray had earlier stated that he was going to skip the clay season this year. However, he later reversed his decision and accepted a wildcard into the tournament in order to get some matches in before the grasscourt season. It will be his first match on clay since the 2020 French Open.
Murray's best result so far this year has been a runner-up finish at the Sydney Tennis Classic in January. Since then, however, his form has dipped and he's failed to win back-to-back matches in a tournament. The Brit has lost in the second round of every tournament he has competed in post Sydney. A former champion in Madrid, he'll be aiming to recapture some of the magic that led to his title-winning run in 2015.
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Dominic Thiem's return from a lengthy injury layoff hasn't gone that well, but he's keeping a positive outlook nevertheless. His first tournament this season was the Marbella Challenger in late March. He lost to Pedro Cachin in the first round. He then suffered yet another setback, as he tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to withdraw from the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Thiem looking a bit better everyday. But he changed his forehand like you can easily see… https://t.co/zz0fslrYfQ
Thiem then competed at the Serbia Open, but lost in the first round yet again, going down in three sets against John Millman. The Austrian then moved on to the Estoril Open. He failed to cross the opening hurdle once more as he lost to Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets.
Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem head-to-head
The two have faced off four times before, with the head-to-head tied at 2-2. Thiem won their last encounter in straight sets at the 2019 China Open.
Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem prediction
Thiem is still seeking his first win since his comeback, while Murray hasn't played on clay in two years, making this an intriguing contest. Murray hasn't lost in the opening round in a while, though this will be his first match on clay in years.
The Austrian, despite losing all of his matches, has gotten a feel for the surface by now. Thiem has also changed his forehand slightly since his return, possibly to protect his wrist from further damage. He's still able to do a lot of damage with it, but has yet to find his timing.
The 2020 US Open champion has shown flashes of his former form in his losses, so it's only a matter of time before he gets a win under his belt.
Thiem is moving quite well on the surface and he'll have an advantage over Murray in this aspect. After not playing on clay for almost two years, Murray will be a little tentative moving from side to side. If the 28-year-old is able to make the most of it, he could have the edge in this contest.
Murray will need to find his footing quickly. His ground game is better and more reliable than Thiem's at the moment, so he's likely to come out on top in the longer rallies. The former World No. 1 has more match play and wins this year and that might just be enough to see him through to the next round.
Pick: Andy Murray to win in three sets.