TennisSection previews the 2021 Madrid Open as Dominic Thiem (3) meets Alexander Zverev (5) in the Semi-finals on Saturday, May 8th, 2021.
Will Alexander Zverev be able to back up one of the biggest victories of his career against yet another clay-court specialist here? Will Dominic Thiem finally be at his best after showing great determination in his comeback win in the Quarter-finals? Both players have a great rivalry, and they can both win this match, but only one will. Who will it be?
Alexander Zverev just brings out his best when he plays the Big 3. Zverev shocked everyone in Madrid, silencing the crowd as he beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-4/6-4. Alexander Zverev is a weird player to predict against. The German is capable of losing to a player ranked close to 100 in the world in one week, and win against the World No.2 and King of Clay in the week after. If Alexander Zverev would be able to bring out that level of play as he always does against Rafa, Novak, and Roger, against lower ranked players instead, he would have had so much more success throughout his young career. How will he fare against another great player and close rival of his, Dominic Thiem, here in the Semi-finals of the 2021 Madrid Open.
Dominic Thiem started off his match against John Isner in the Quarter-finals of the 2021 Madrid Open very slowly, going down a break instantly and nearly going down a double break in the first set. However, Dominic Thiem was able to gain more control on his serve in the second set, allowing him to get on top of the points earlier and not have to fight as hard as he had to in the first set where his serve was all over the place. Thiem won 3-6/6-3/6-4. Dominic Thiem has now gotten 3 matches under his belt in his comeback, and I am very sure that he is back to near his best, where we can be confident enough in his abilities to win big titles again. However, he will have to raise his level again as he now meets a close friend in Alexander Zverev.
Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev have met 10 times before, with Dominic Thiem leasing the head to head 8-2. The last time they met was in that incredible 5-set 2020 US Open Final where Dominic Thiem won by coming back from 2 sets down. I think that this prior encounter will have a big impact mentally on Alexander Zverev who says he is still fighting the demons of losing that match when he was serving for his maiden Grand Slam title. Dominic Thiem loves these conditions, and he will want to continue winning against big name players. I expect this still to be a tight match as both players are playing at their best, but Thiem will win this one due to his ability to move the ball a bit better than Rafa in these high-altitude conditions. Thiem to make his way to the Semi-finals of the 2021 Madrid Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Dominic Thiem to Win.
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