Debacle for Dominic Thiem in the Austrian duel

Dominic Thiem just can’t get going. The former US Open champion, who is top seed at the 75,000 euro challenger in Zadar, has already said goodbye in the round of 16. In front of a desolate backdrop (there must have been a maximum of 100), the 30-year-old from Lichtenwörth lost to a compatriot after a disappointing performance. The world number 90. lost to number 219 on the computer, Lukas Neumayer, 2:6, 1:6 without a hitch.

Thiem’s ​​body language on Center Court was anything but optimistic, which was also due to a series of failures. In some cases, balls ended up meters behind the baseline without necessity. The Lower Austrian lacked the aggressiveness that had distinguished him in his glory days. Where was the precision, where was the pressure, where was the going into the pitch? Thiem acted far too passively, stood – as always in the past few months – far behind the baseline and let the sporting fate take over. Thiem’s ​​class flashed far too rarely.

On the other side was Neumayer, who played cheekily. “I think I have a chance against Dominic,” the 21-year-old from Salzburg said before the duel. And that’s how he performed – without respect or fear of the big name. The youngster played his game and kept his nerve even in tricky moments. In the first set, Neumayer, who didn’t give up his service once, took Thiem’s ​​serve to make it 2-0 and 6-2, and in the second he pulled ahead to 5-0. After 100 minutes the spook was over.

In the quarterfinals, Neumayer will face Czech Jonas Forejtek (No. 421). Pleasing: Sandro Kopp (No. 392) is also in the last eight. The 23-year-old Tyrolean, who successfully fought his way through the qualification, won against the Bulgarian Dimitar Kuzmanov (No. 238) 7:6 (7), 6:2 and now faces the Kazakh Timofey Skatov (No. 273) to do.