Win Barcelona Open, Dominic Thiem made Rafael Nadal become a former champion

In recent years, Thiem has emerged as a counterweight on Nadal’s clay ground and two people met at the Barcelona semifinals. Winning 12 out of 13 games at the end of the match, the third seed crushed Daniil Medvedev with a score of 6-4, 6-0 to win the Barcelona clay tournament on April 28 for the first time.

Dominic Thiem entered this tournament with a high level when he had never lost a set, and Rafael Nadal had to go through some very tough matches before. Since 2017, Thiem has won Nadal on clay ground and this time is no exception.

In both sets, the Austrian player had a break in the fifth game and despite Nadal’s efforts, Thiem still defended his advantage. In this match, Thiem got on the net very well and Nadal did not. The tennis player handed the ball not as dangerously as his opponent.

No. 1 seed must accept loss after 2 sets with the same number 4-6, thereby ending a series of 22 consecutive victories in Barcelona and extending the right to the final for Dominic Thiem. Getting a monument at the clay which dominated by Rafael Nadal made Thiem very happy.

Right in the first game of handing the ball, the third seed faced three consecutive break-points. Only save the first two chances, the Austrian player lost the first three games of the final.

Keeping up with the match even though it was a bit slow, Thiem played out and controlled the game completely. Medvedev now only tried to stand up to the increasing pressure. The Russian player had to request medical attention but then had to guard the racket in the third set-point.

Losing no set, Thiem for the first time to win Barcelona Open, and become the first Austrian tennis player to win ATP 500 on clay since Thomas Muster in 1996.

It was also the second ATP championship this season for the “Prince of Clay” after the first 1000 Masters in Indian Wells in March. Up to now, Thiem win 9 out of 13 ATP titles on the clay.