Rafael Nadal destroys Dominic Thiem

17 April، 2023

15 1 minute read

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Since the 2018 Monte Carlo draw came out, the tennis world expected the quarter-final clash between Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem. Nadal reached the last eight with solid wins over Aljaz Bedene and Karen Khachanov. Thiem had to survive a battle against Novak Djokovic the previous day that lasted for two and a half hours, with nothing left in the tank for the Nadal clash.

It was the eighth meeting between the Spaniard and the Austrian, all on clay. A ten-time Monte Carlo champion Nadal needed just 68 minutes to topple Thiem 6-0, 6-2 and advance into the 13th Monte Carlo semi-final in 15 appearances!

Thiem was the only player who defeated Rafa on clay in 2017, ousting him in the Rome quarter-final. A few weeks later, Nadal restored the order in the Roland Garros semi-final and dropped just seven games. Next spring, Rafa continued in the same style in Monte Carlo, giving away two games in the last three sets played against the Austrian!

Tired, slow and unsettled, Thiem served at 41% and turned his service games into a nightmare. Dominic lost almost 60% of the points and faced 12 break chances to feel the constant pressure. Rafa sailed through his service games, dropping six points behind the initial shot and allowing Dominic to reach just one deuce and no break chances.

Nadal was in his full throttle from the baseline, dictating the pace with in-depth and accurate groundstrokes that dismantled Thiem. In that 2017 Rome match, the Austrian was very efficient on the return and the crucial points.

On the other hand, nothing worked his way in Monte Carlo, spraying almost 40 errors. Nadal’s groundstrokes worked like a charm, and he poured just ten mistakes. The Spaniard stood as the dominant figure in the shortest and especially the longer rallies, where Thiem had nothing to confront and make the match more interesting.