Dominic Thiem vs Roger Federer (3-6, 6-3, 7-5)
There was a lot of buzzing ahead of the last day of the Indian Wells Masters. The 2019 iteration of the Men’s Singles final saw Roger Federer star for the fifth time in six years. Everyone’s beloved Swiss star is also chasing history as he tried to win another Indian Wells title.
However, Dominic Thiem defied Indian Wells Masters 2019 odds and pulled off an incredible comeback that will be remembered for days on end. The way the Austrian battled after going through a rough slump is the cherry on top of an incredible tournament that is full of its own twists and turns.
Join us here at SBOBET as we take a look at what happened in those two hours that saw Thiem take home the first major trophy in his professional tennis career.
Highlights of the game
A lot can be said to the events prior to the match, and some can argue that those happenings are as important as the events that occurred on the hard court.
The most important event that happened before this match was Federer’s default win in the semi-finals. He was supposed to have a bombastic duel with long-time rival Rafael Nadal, but the Spaniard pulled out of the contest due to right knee pain.
Federer got a free ticket to the finals and try to gun for a historic sixth Indian Wells title. He watched Thiem win a drawn-out battle against Milos Raonic that helped him get to his third career final appearance. Both knew that they were going to be in for a long game the moment the final match was decided.
Thiem tried to open the hostilities by making the most out of his powerful backhand to force his Swiss opponent to run. Hats off to Federer, though, as he managed to match the Austrian shot-for-shot. He challenged Thiem’s service games and made life difficult for him. Federer triumphed with a 6-3 first-set win.
However, the fresher legs Federer were on eventually lost their edge as the 25-year-old clawed his way back to the competition. He managed to shake off the rusty form that plagued his play in the first set. he won 13 of the 14 available points early in the set to give him the 4-1 lead. Roger didn’t manage to break back as the second set ended 6-3 in Thiem’s favour.
A grand finale was set up, and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden was looking forward to a fantastic finale. Both men approached the final set with cautious aggression as they managed to keep their service games. Both were reaching their limits, and the crowd was treated to a fantastic display of tennis.
It was Thiem’s camp who happily cheered as the Austrian managed to overcome a steely battle of wills against the seasoned Federer. It’s ironic that 37-year-old didn’t have enough left in the tank despite having a day off compared to his opponent.
However, Federer’s condition doesn’t take away from the fact that Thiem’s victory completed an incredible run in the Men’s and Women’s Singles. Thiem and Andreescu were not the biggest favourites to win the title, but both pulled off magnificent runs to make this year an especially memorable one.
Thiem’s celebration was a perfect cap to the Indian Wells Masters 2019 highlights package this match provided: he scraped his elbow as he fell to the ground, relieved that he finally has silverware to match his incredible tennis talent.
Key statistics
Third time is the charm for Thiem as this is his first ATP 1000 title in three finals appearances. The 25-year-old also denied a historic sixth Indian Wells title for Federer who was one of the favourites to win, according to pre-tournament odds.
Both men were effective in their service games as both won around 70% of their first serve points. However, it’s in the defensive end of the game that saw the Austrian stand out in comparison to his opponent. He saved nine of the 11 break points Federer had against him, and that allowed him to take home his first ATP 1000 title.
The win also gave Thiem 1000 points in the ATP rankings, allowing him to jump an impressive four spots to return to his career-best position of fourth. Federer, who previously manned the spot, slipped down to fifth.
What’s next?
The American tour doesn’t stop for both of them as the next ATP 1000 match is going to be played out in sunny Florida. The Miami Open promises more exciting tennis action, and Thiem will want to win another competition now that he has experienced what victory tastes like.
April sees a change in the environment as the clay season arrives. The Monte Carlo Masters will be held in the middle of the month, and it will be great preparation for Roland Garros that is happening in May.
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