World Tennis League 2022: Holger Rune vs Dominic Thiem preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Holger Rune (Team Kites) vs Dominic Thiem (Team Hawks)
Date: December 22, 2022.
Tournament: World Tennis League.
Round: Group stage.
Venue: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Category: Exhibition Tournament.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Match timing: Approx 9 pm local time, 5 pm GMT, 12 noon ET and 10.30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA, UK - Tennis Channel | Australia - Stan Sport | India - Jio Cinema & Sports 18.
Holger Rune vs Dominic Thiem preview
World No. 11 Holger Rune will square off against former US Open champion Dominic Thiem as Team Kites and Team Hawks clash at the World Tennis League in Dubai on Thursday.
The Dane, so far, has had just one outing at this high-profile exhibition tournament. He and former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard succumbed to a 6-2, 6-3 defeat at the hands of Team Eagles' Nick Kyrgios and Bianca Andreescu on the opening day of the competition.
Rune has come into this event on the back of a stellar season. He won three titles, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Paris. The 19-year-old came back from a set down to upset 21-time Major champion Novak Djokovic in the final at the French capital.
The result propelled the youngster into the top 10 of the men's singles world rankings for the very first time.
The Dane's red-hot form has continued in the off-season too, as he won two exhibition events — Open Markal Bourg-de-Péage and Caen Open — earlier this month.
Rune will be eager to continue his winning streak at the Dubai event as he heads into the new season.
Like Rune, Dominic Thiem, too, has only appeared in mixed doubles match at the ongoing World Tennis League. He and former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova went down 5-7, 6-3, [10-4] against Team Falcons' Paula Badosa and Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.
Thiem's comeback from injury garnered momentum in the recently concluded season. He reached the semi-finals in Gstaad, Gijon and Antwerp, in addition to making the quarter-finals in Bastad and Kitzbuhel. The Austrian also finished as the runner-up to Ugo Humbert at the Rennes Challenger.
Thiem lost his opener to Alexander Zverev at the Diriyah Tennis Cup, another exhibition event held in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. He will be keen to make amends and put up a better account of himself when he crosses swords with the dangerous Rune.
Holger Rune vs Dominic Thiem head-to-head
Rune and Thiem have so far never squared off on the tour. Hence they are currently tied at 0-0 in the head-to-head.
Holger Rune vs Dominic Thiem odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Holger Rune vs Dominic Thiem prediction
Considering Holger Rune's imperious form at the moment, this will be a tough task for Dominic Thiem. The teenager's confidence is sky-high at the moment. He has already made his ambitions clear that he wants to be No. 1 in the world and seems to be heading in the right direction.
Rune possesses an all-court game and a fearless attitude that has been instrumental in his recent success. Not only can he blast the ball from the baseline, but he can also make forays into the net when required. Blessed with immense speed and power, he will look to take time away from Dominic Thiem, who hits his forehands with a lot of topspin.
The 29-year-old will hope to engage his young opponent in long rallies in order to eke out errors off his racquet. However, with Rune playing with such firepower at present, he might not give the former World No. 3 much of a chance to play his natural game.
Pick: Holger Rune to win in straight sets.