8th June, 2019
Austrian Dominic Thiem has powered to his second successive French Open final, beating world number one, Novak Djokovic in a 4 hour, 20 minutes enervating five set thriller, 6-2 3-6 7-5 5-7 7-5, delayed by rain twice.
Eventually the rain could not help Djokovic overcome the 25 year-old Austrian who is world’s number four. Thiem is now 3-6 head to head with Djokovic. He last defeated the Serbian at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2018 and French Open in 2017. Djokovic won their semi-final clash in Madrid recently.
Rain had come to the rescue of Novak Djokovic as he trailed Thiem in the final fifth set 1-4 in the Roland Garros semi-finals.
Djokovic, bidding to become just the second man in history to hold all Grand Slam titles at the same time twice, was serving and 40-40 when play was halted.
When play resumed later, Djokovic rallied to narrow the deficit 3-4, then he lost his game to give Thiem an advantage to serve for the match. The Austrian appeared to have lost control of his nerves as he gave Djokovic a life line, losing his game and allowing Djokovic to close in at 5-4.
More drama awaited as Djokovic saved match points to level the match. Thiem took the next game and dramatically broke Djokovic to win the match 7-5.
Thiem had led 6-2, 3-6, 3-1 overnight when play was suspended due to rain and the threat of high winds, before claiming the third set on Saturday 7-5. Djokovic levelled the match by taking the fourth set 7-5.
The semi-final resumed around 14.30 Nigerian time with the originally scheduled women’s final between Ashleigh Barty and Marketa Vondrousova postponed till 3pm.
Thiem will now face 11-time winner and defending champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s final.
Nadal made his 12th final in Paris on Friday with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 crushing win over old rival Roger Federer. It was Federer’s worst loss at the Slams in 11 years.
Nadal, 33, will be the fresher on Sunday, having completed his quarter-final on Tuesday and semi-final on Friday
Thiem had played for three days in succession.