Dominic Thiem attends finale of the 2nd edition of his tournament series, says he is pleased with the "strong level" of tennis on display
Dominic Thiem has been forced to stay off the court due to the wrist injury he suffered at the Mallorca Open in June, but he has kept himself fully occupied during his down time. The former World No. 3 recently turned his attention to Red Bull Thiem, Set, Match, an event he has personally designed to give opportunities to youngsters looking for exposure.
The second edition of the tournament series began on 21 August, with six qualifying events spanning just over two months. It culminated on the center court of the Wiener Stadthalle stadium on Monday, with Dominic Thiem watching over the finals closely.
The 2020 US Open champion praised the talented youngsters for putting up well-fought contests, while also encouraging all the others who took part.
"The matches were on a strong level, with great rallies and strong winners," Thiem said.
The Austrian made his presence felt through social media as well, where he reshared @redbullaustria's Instagram post marking the event finale. Thiem greeted all the finalists ahead of their big match by saying: "Good luck to the finalists playing the Thiem Set & Match final today! 🎾🤞".
Speaking about the success of the tournament so far, Dominic Thiem expressed happiness at how well the upcoming pool of players have responded to the format. He also appreciated the enthusiasm they displayed over the course of the series.
"For me, personally, the most important thing is when I see how much fun the participants have when playing tennis," Thiem added.
What is the format of 'Thiem, Set, Match' like?
Known for his aggressive approach and strong offense, Dominic Thiem has built the tournament around those aspects of his game. Each match is played with short sets to four games, and the tie-break is set at 3-3.
Offensive play is rewarded, with a winner counting as double points.
Thiem has shown great interest in promoting the format and supporting all the rising talent that has made a mark through their tennis during the tournament. Right from the opening match that took place on 21 August in Vienna, where Thiem personally handed over the first medals of the series, his presence has been an encouraging factor for the 400-odd youngsters participating this year.
The winners of the tournament, Clemens Linnemann (Men's Winner) and Beatrix Gamsjager (Women's Winner), got to attend a personal training session with Dominic Thiem. They have also been given an invitation to the Vienna Open final, which will take place on 31 October.