Dominic Thiem's Gracious Response to Roland Garros Wild Card Snub

05/21/2024 05:58 AM

Dominic Thiem will end his career at the end of 2024, struggling with a wrist injury for three years and deciding to finish his tennis journey at 31. Dominic is a two-time Roland Garros finalist, but it was not enough for the organizers to provide him with a main-draw wild card for the second Major of the season. Thus, Thiem entered the qualifying draw and made a winning start, beating Franco Agamenone 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Dominic made an honest acknowledgment following his victory, saying he had enough time to improve his ranking and enter Roland Garros directly. The Austrian recovered after a slow start and outplayed the Italian in sets two and three, clinching three straight breaks in the decider and scoring a win in front of a massive crowd on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Dominic served at only 55%. Still, he overpowered Franco behind the first and second serve, getting broken three times and securing five return games from 14 opportunities. They stayed close to each other in the shortest and mid-range exchanges, and Thiem forged the difference in the most advanced rallies with nine strokes or more.

Agamenone held after a deuce in the first game of the encounter with a service winner and made a push on the return in the next one. The Austrian sprayed a forehand error, losing serve and falling 2-0 behind. The Italian claimed an entertaining point in the third game, holding at 15 and cementing the advantage. Thiem added his name to the scoreboard with an ace in the fourth game and created two break chances in the next one after Agamenone's forehand mistake. Dominic earned the third break chance and seized it with a lob winner at the net, reducing the deficit and returning to the positive side. Instead of building on that, the former finalist netted a routine forehand, losing serve at 15 and falling 4-2 behind. Franco held at love with a service winner a few minutes later, opening a 5-2 gap and forcing Dominic to serve to stay in the set. Thiem prolonged the action with a hold at 15 in game eight, hoping for a good run on the return at 3-5.

He created a break chance after the rival's loose forehand but missed it after failing to control Agamenone's crafty drop shot. The Italian forced the Austrian's mistake, wrapping up the set 6-3 after 40 minutes and moving in front. With no room for errors, Thiem raised his level in the second set and produced five comfortable holds, keeping the pressure on the other side. Dominic closed the first game at 15 after Franco's loose backhand, and his rival responded in the next one for 1-1. The Austrian landed an ace in the third game, holding at love and building another advantage. Agamenone followed that pace and grabbed the fourth game after Thiem's wayward forehand, remaining on the positive side. Dominic hit a great volley winner in the fifth game and closed it with a service winner for 3-2. The Austrian found the rhythm on the return in game six and created five break chances.

The former Major champion painted a forehand down the line winner on the list, securing a break and forging a 4-2 advantage. The Austrian embraced a fine serve & volley combo in the seventh game, holding and moving further in front while forcing his opponent to serve to stay in the set. Agamenone clinched the eighth game after deuces before Thiem forced the rival's error at 5-3, wrapping up the set and introducing a decider after an hour and 28 minutes. Dominic landed a beautiful running backhand crosscourt winner at the net at the beginning of the final set, creating a break chance and converting it with a backhand return winner after Agamenone's wrong call. Thiem closed the second game after a superb lob, cementing the advantage and generating break points in the next one. Dominic seized the second after Franco's forehand error, extending the gap and his streak.

The Italian pulled one break back in the fourth game before struggling again on serve at 1-3. Thiem converted the second break point with a smash winner, extending the lead and moving closer to the finish line. Dominic saved a break point in the sixth game with a smash winner and held after deuces for a 5-1 lead, forcing Franco to serve to stay in the match. Agamenone held at 30 in the seventh game and created two break points in the next one, eager to fight until the end. Thiem erased them with aces and created a match point with a volley winner at the net. Dominic squandered it before earning the second with a running forehand crosscourt winner at the net. The Austrian converted it with a smash winner, making a winning start and moving into the second round.  

"Honestly, I had enough time and tournaments to improve my ranking and enter the main draw directly. I failed, and I kind of did not deserve the main draw wild card; it's fine," Dominic Thiem said.