"We had unbelievable success together & we also came through a very tough time" - Dominic Thiem on the struggles of his family & coach, as he reaches the Swiss Open semifinals
Dominic Thiem beat Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open in Gstaad to reach his first semifinal this year. Taking strides towards reaching his top form, the Austrian converted five break points out of 12 chances, while winning 62% on the first serve. Thiem registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win against the qualifier.
The 28-year-old has been trying to reach his best ever since making a comeback on the tour in March. Thiem suffered a devastating wrist injury in June last year, resulting in him spending the next nine months on the sidelines.
When he returned after such a long layoff, he wasn't the same player, having to adapt to his wrist. However, a string of first-round exits only made him work harder, as a result of which, the former World No. 3 has reached the semifinals in Gstaad.
This is the first tournament since the 2021 Madrid Open that Thiem has reached the last-four of an event. After the win, Thiem spoke about the impact the injury has had on him and his family and the importance of the support he has received.
"Nobody really talks about it but it was a tough time for them (family) also. Obviously, during the injury, they were awful for a long time, and also, they were probably not sure when I could come back, when I'm back in a good way. So, I think they are also enjoying a lot now that wins are coming back. To give a lot of energy from the outside, for me, it's obviously super important and it's a big support."
Dominic Thiem talks about what his return to winning ways means for his team and family, and how his relationship with coach @massunico has helped through good and tough times ♥️
Domi is into his first ATP SF since Madrid 2021 https://t.co/rI0C4C6M74
The last time Dominic Thiem won a singles title was at the 2020 US Open with the help of his coach Nicolas Massu. Thiem elaborated on their partnership and praised the Chilean, saying that going through good and bad periods has helped their relationship.
"We had unbelievable success together and then we also came through a very tough time now. But I think that it makes a good relationship to get through those tough times and for him, it wasn't easy because he wasn't there a lot. Obviously, he was at home in Chile, not knowing how is my wrist and my progress, not able to do anything. He only started again when I was able to hit. So, I guess it was a tough time for him and I'm also super happy for him that good results are coming back," Thiem said.
Dominic Thiem to face Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals
Dominic Thiem and Matteo Berrettini will face each other for a spot in the Swiss Open finals today. This will be the sixth meeting between the two players, with the Italian leading 3-2 in the head-to-head. Both have lifted one title each in Gstaad previously. After winning his quarterfinal clash, Thiem expressed his satisfaction with his performance.
Happy to be in the semi-finals @SwissOpenGstaad ! 🔥🇨🇭
Every single win feels great! https://t.co/zfP3qFiEwy
“Tomorrow I can go into the match free, trying to do my best. When I travelled to Bastad last week, I didn’t expect to reach the quarter-finals there and then the semi-finals here. It is really, really good and I am happy with the progress," Thiem said.