Austria's Dominic Thiem, 3rd in the world, won the US Open, his first Grand Slam title, turning over a badly started final against the German Alexander Zverev (7th) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4 , 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) Sunday at Flushing Meadows.
The 4th final was the right one for Thiem, 27, who had fallen at this stage at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019, then at the last Australian Open in February.
He is the first new winner of a Major since Marin Cilic at the 2014 US Open. And he is even the first outside “Big 3”, since Stan Wawrinka at Flushing Meadows in 2016, Novak Djokovic having been disqualified for a gesture of mood in the round of 16 and the Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer duo having made the deadlock, in unprecedented conditions behind closed doors, dictated by the coronavirus.
After his solid victory in the semi-final at the expense of Daniil Medvedev, finalist last year, Thiem appeared as the legitimate favorite for this final.
As much by its ranking as by the impression left during this fortnight, without forgetting a very favorable result in its confrontations with Zverev.
He was leading 7-2 and remained on three consecutive victories, the last of which was in the semi-finals in Melbourne (3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6).
This 8th success has a historic flavor because it is the first to win a US Open final after being led two sets to nothing.
It was after a very intense showdown in the 5th set, the previous four having been less disputed on both sides, that Thiem made the difference.
Broken at 5-3, he immediately resumed Zverev's serve to stay alive, and once again in the 11th game to lead 6-5.
But Zverev managed to unbreak in turn to snatch a decisive game.
It took him three match points and a direct error from the German to finally be crowned after 4 hours 01 minutes of a grueling fight.
After which his opponent favored fair play, in an embrace, to the distance imposed by protocol.
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