Dominic Thiem OUSTED, not reading into Miami Open loss

Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem sees an unexpected loss at the 2019 Miami Open. Here’s a look at how he reacted following the match.

Dominic Thiem entered the 2019 Miami Open as the third seed in men’s singles. We took a look at all four of the men’s top seeds prior to the tournament action. Thiem no doubt was one of the favorites to at least make a deep run following his first ever Masters 1000 title at the Indian Wells Masters earlier this month.

Facing 22-year-old Polish tennis player Hubert Hurkacz during his opener in Miami, Thiem never found his rhythm. Hurkacz wins his second match of the tournament, advancing to the round of 32 by defeating Thiem in straight sets.

The younger Hurkacz takes the meeting with ease, going 6-4, 6-4. Now, we have to wonder whether or not Thiem’s lackluster Miami Open match was due to an overwhelmingly dominant performance at Indian Wells. Did he not have the energy to repeat in Miami?

Thiem refuses to read too much into the loss. We probably think that’s for the best. It’s just one match and the Austrian is still playing strong tennis right now. Hurkacz was also no pushover in terms of an opponent. He is red hot as of late. At Indian Wells, he claimed wins over Lucas Pouille, Kei Nishikori, and Denis Shapovalov before falling to Roger Federer.

"“There were some moments like when he gave me the break (at 1-1 in the second set) and I should have continued [with the momentum], but in general, he was just better. I wasn’t quite on my level like last week, but it was an okay match for me.” – Dominic Thiem following his loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the 2019 Miami Open via ATP Tour"

The world number four is looking forward to the clay court season. He finished runner-up to King of Clay Rafael Nadal last year at the French Open and his eyes are looking there yet again. Dominic Thiem is seeking his first ever Grand Slam title in men’s singles and Roland Garros could be the place to do it. Nadal won the 2018 French Open 6–4, 6–3, 6–2, but his health remains in question for the rest of the year. If he isn’t 100 percent, players like Thiem will become top contenders during the clay court season.