Thiem Masters Medvedev At US Open, Zverev Overcomes 0-2 Deficit To Reach First Slam Final

by Staff | September 12th, 2020, 12:28 am
  • 10 Comments

Alexander Zverev had to do something he’s never done before to reach his first Grand Slam final. The much-hyped German finally made a Slam final but had to overcome an 0-2 set deficit to do it beating Pablo Carreno Busta 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

The 23-year-old Zverev played a miserable first two sets before find some form to edge a tightening Spaniard.

“I looked at the scoreboard after two sets,” Zverev said. “I thought to myself, Look, I’m playing a Grand Slam semifinal, I’m down 6-3, 6-2 in a match where on paper I’m supposed to be the favorite.


“I needed to play better, start something new. I thought, Okay, I’m going to go set by set, we’ll see how far I can get. It turned out well in the end.

“Obviously it was very close. Pablo deserved to be in the final just as much as I did. Yeah, a few points here or there on either side of the match.”

The highlight of the match was its end as the much of the 3h23m affair was filled with errors, lackluster points and general poor play.

Early on, Zverev struggled with his serve and just about everyone else. Carreno Busta was steady, but even he was struggling at times holding his weaker serve. Finally, in the third, his serve issues caught up and Zverev got enough confidence to make it a match.

Zverev had been 0-6 in Grand Slams after being down two sets. This was his first and greatest such comeback.

“Mentally I stayed in it,” he said. “Even though I was down two sets to love, I stayed in it. I gave myself the best chance I could.

“Today I dug deep, dug very deep. At the end of the day I’m sitting here as the winner of that match, which could have been very different.”

Zverev becomes the first German man to make the US Open final since Michael Stich lost to Andre Agassi in 1994.

In the final, Zverev will face the tenacious Dominic Thiem who got past Daniil Medvedev in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(7), 7-6(5). It will be Thiem’s fourth Grand Slam final.

“I love these big matches. To face the best guys in the world is what I do the hard work for at home and in the off-season,” Thiem told the crowd. “After the first set, it was great tennis from both of us. I could have easily been down two-sets-to-one. I’m really happy to be through. It was a great semifinal.”

While Medvedev has the defensive skills, the Russian couldn’t match the power off the ground from Thiem when it mattered the most. And Thiem took two breakers from Medvedev who hadn’t lost a tiebreak in New York.

Medvedev finished with 45 unforced errors to Thiem’s 33. He was also broken four times in the match after losing serve just three times in five rounds coming in against Thiem.

“What I would do different in this semifinal?” Medvedev asked. “Probably not much. I mean, we can talk about some shots, losing concentration in the first set. But Dominic played really good.

“Tennis is all about small points. Sometimes you win these points; sometimes you lose them. Today I lost the most important points. That’s how he got the win. But I think it was really high-level tennis and Dominic was playing really good.”

Thiem did tweak his heel at the end of the second set, but in the third was able to rally from a break down and then hang on in the tiebreaker. Just a shoe issue he said after the match.

Sunday will see a new Grand Slam champion crowned. Thiem and Zverev met in the Australian Open semifinals which was won by the Austrian in four very tough sets.

Overall, Thiem leads 7-2 having won the last three meetings. And instead of facing Rafael Nadal on clay or Novak Djokovic in Australia, he’ll be the favorite to become the first new Grand Slam champion since Marin Cilic six years ago.

“It’s all or nothing,” Thiem said of the final. “It’s going to be a completely open match.

“I’m really looking forward to that. We have such a great friendship and rivalry. It’s amazing that we’re going to face each other in a Grand Slam final.”


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10 Comments for Thiem Masters Medvedev At US Open, Zverev Overcomes 0-2 Deficit To Reach First Slam Final

Van Persie Says:

So happy for Thiem, was rooting for him to reach the finals. Hope he will win the whole thing aswell, as I assume he will not be that hungry in Paris with a title at the US Open 😁


FedExpress Says:

If Thiem doesnt win the title tomorrow he will never win a GS imo.

Already 27, no Big 3 waiting for him, 3 GS finals lost.


skeezer Says:

Love Theim’s attitude going into the final. Busta proved his battle with Djoker was going to be a tough one. We have a great next gen final.


FedExpress Says:

Thiem is not a next gen skeezer


skeezer Says:

FE,
He turned pro in 2011, Djoker by comparison 2003. What group would you put him in?


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Great to see Thiem making his 4th Slam final and really cementing a place in tennis history. He did grow up fast, its really hard to believe he’s 27 already. Remember when 27 was old in tennis?

With his record and Slam experience and frustration and hunger, he should win. Maybe the faster court tilts it a little to Zverev, especially if he has a good serving day, but I think Thiem gets his first.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Just perusing a few ‘tennis at 27’ stats for fun. Edberg had won his sixth and final Slam by 26.

Becker won his 5th slam by 24, then a swan song at 29.

On the other hand (and more recently) Wawrinka won his 3 slams between 29 and 31.
Murray won his 3 between 26 and 29. Similarly to Thiem, he’d lost 4 slams prior (I know, 3 for Thiem).

So Thiem could still wind up with a Murray/Wawrinka level legacy, especially if he inherits a vacuum those two never did.


chrisford1 Says:

I the era of the Big 3, now slowly closing out, you have great players that have spent much of their careers chasing those guys. Players who would have won many many big titles if they played in a weaker era.
Led by Murray.
A Slam win will not be a shock, should Thiem win. He is already established as a great player, a true champion who has battled the Big 3 and sometimes prevailed. And who battled Nadal and Djokovic to the end, in epic Slam matches.
But maybe Zverev has found a spine and scrotum after coming back from down 2 sets, the 1st time ever in his career…maybe Sasha has turned the corner. No longer folding up like wet cardboard when getting beat up good, mid-match.
Hope it’s Thiem, though.


Vince Says:

Thiem deserves more than Zverev.. But I feel Zverev has the lucky element, he got all his masters and tour final on his first attempt and as underdog.


Truth Says:

Zverev gets through matches with 50% effort, but Thiem has to pummel the crap out of the ball to escape 2 sets with a mindless opponent.
So it’s at least 55% chance in the final for Zverev.

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