Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem came from behind to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the rain-delayed Stuttgart Open final here on Monday.
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Thiem led 5-0 in the second set before allowing the top-seeded Federer to pull even by winning five straight games.
“The way I played and felt on court was one of the best feelings I’ve had in tennis”. German had better percentage behind his second serve but that wasn’t enough to make the difference.
Federer forced the set into a tiebreaker, where he had his match-point chances, but Thiem held on and then made it a set apiece.
“I was incredibly nervous”.
“It’s sad to lose the final, but I think it was a very good final”, Kohlschreiber said.
The Swiss legend, who is returning from a back injury that ruled him out of the French Open, saw his preparations for Wimbledon unravel as Thiem battled through 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. The loss is a little bit annoying but I’m happy with the week.
Nevertheless, Thiem, who flabbergasted Roger Federer in the last four, turned up in the second set to break Kohlschreiber’s serve before levelling in sets. The match was twice interrupted by rain, both times for 30 minutes.
But the most newsworthy tournament Federer has missed this year was the French Open, the first Grand Slam he’s had to sit out since 1999.
The 32-ranked Mladenovic defeated Swiss top seed and close friend Belinda Bencic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The second delay came right after Thiem broke for 4-3 in the third set.
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World number seven Thiem, the fastest-rising player on the ATP Tour, won on clay in Buenos Aires and Nice, and on hardcourts in Acapulco this year.
