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Dominic Thiem troubles at Rio Open reveal concerns for 2019 ATP Tour

By Harry Floyd

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 19: Dominic Thiem of Austria returns a shot to Laslo Djere of Serbia during the ATP Rio Open 2019 at Jockey Club Brasileiro on February 19, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 19: Dominic Thiem of Austria returns a shot to Laslo Djere of Serbia during the ATP Rio Open 2019 at Jockey Club Brasileiro on February 19, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /
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Austrian tennis star and current world number eight Dominic Thiem entered the Rio Open as the top seed. He is OUSTED early from the tournament.

Dominic Thiem took on unseeded Serbian tennis player Laslo Đere first at the 2019 Rio Open. Thiem, the 2017 champion in men’s singles at the event, was undoubtedly the heavy favorite. His time in Rio was short-lived though and it casts doubts on his abilities moving forward.

Thiem falls in straight sets with the Serbian winning 6-3, 6-3.Thiem said that many things did not work in his favor. After the match. What’s next for the Austrian tennis star?

More. Can Thiem Win Roland Garros?. light

So far on the 2019 ATP Tour, the world number eight was 3-3 in his ATP singles matches prior to action in Rio. His opening round loss drops him to 3-4 and puts him in a position where he needs to discover consistent quickly.

Thiem seems to be hit or miss at tournaments as of late. He is either putting on a deep run or splashing out early. His being the top seed at the Rio Open makes the upset that much more perplexing. We have already predicted that Thiem will win several French Open men’s singles titles throughout his career. His chances this year could be dwindling if he cannot prove himself in the months leading up to Roland Garros.

In 2017 at Rio, Thiem defeated Pablo Carreno Busta in the finals, winning 7–5, 6–4. His absence from the remainder of the tournament opens up the path to a potentially new champion. Defending champ Diego Schwartzman is the fourth seed and is taking on Pablo Cuevas in the round of 32. He could be the favorite moving forward if he defeats Cuevas.

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The biggest issue with the Dominic Thiem loss at the Rio Open is that is shows he is very beatable. The likes of Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal appear unstoppable on the ATP Tour right now and players such as Thiem must prove that they can hang with the best of the best. The young Austrian is among the top players on the ATP Tour but he needs to string together some consistent play if he hopes to challenge Djokovic and others.

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