I don't see any weakness in Zverev's game: Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem has made it to his second consecutive Grand Slam final by defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Friday night. The Austrian will now lock horns with World No. 7 Alexander Zverev in the US Open summit clash. Zverev on his part overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Pablo Carreno Busta in the first semifinal.
Thiem launched his new website recently, where he spoke about his friendship with Alexander Zverev. The two European rising stars know each other for six years, and are great pals off the court.
Talking about his journey and relationship with Zverev, Thiem said:
"I've known him since 2014, we made it to the tour almost simultaneously. From the beginning we have been getting along well, have done a couple of things together, that are not tennis related, like going out for meals, or playing games like Town-River-Country."
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev have battled each other nine teams on the ATP Tour. The Austrian has emerged victorious in seven of those matches, but Zverev will be keen to make up for his past losses by defeating Thiem in the US Open 2020 final.
Talking about their on-court rivalry, Thiem added:
"He had some really tough matches, also on big stages like the quarterfinals at the French Open twice, or the semifinal at the Masters in 2019. Not to forget the the semifinal in Melbourne in 2020. We also share a lot: nice memories of various doubles matches and then, of course, we have the same outfitter."
Alexander Zverev's backhand is one of the most elegant strokes in the world: Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev have met on the Grand Slam stage thrice, with all the matches ending in Thiem's favor. The 26-year-old player also beat his German rival in the ATP Finals last year.
When asked to analyze the playing style of Zverev, Thiem made particular mention of his backhand and serve. He also lauded the German's flexibility despite being so tall.
"His two-handed backhand is one of the most elegant strokes in the world, his serve is simply superb. For being so tall he moves extremely well," Thiem said.
When asked if the two-time French Open quarter-finalist had any weaknesses, Dominic Thiem replied:
"Weaknesses? I don't see any of that in a player at that ranking."
The US Open 2020 final will take place on Sunday night at the Flushing Meadows. It will be interesting to see which of the two young stars wins his maiden Grand Slam title.