Djokovic Downs Thiem for Eighth Australian Open Title ‘It Was a Tough Match but You Were Very Close to Winning It
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NBA | Page 5 FOOTBALL | Page 7 LeBron propels Tottenham Lakers to fi rst weather Man win since City storm to Kobe’s death snatch win Monday, February 3, 2020 RUGBY Jumada II 9, 1441 AH Ollivon double GULF TIMES helps France beat England SPORT Page 4 TENNIS Djokovic downs Thiem for eighth Australian Open title ‘It was a tough match but you were very close to winning it. You have a lot more time and you will get more than one’ Then he lost his fi rst serve to another time violation for 15-40 — and his temper after driving a forehand long. Passing the umpire’s chair on the changeover, he gave Dumusois a tap on his shoe and a wither- ing burst of sarcasm: “Great job man, es- pecially the second one. You’ve made yourself famous. Well done.” Thiem, who had his own anxious mo- ments searching for depth on his ground strokes, served out the set, and cruised through the third. Djokovic seemed to be almost wilfully falling in a heap. Before the start of the fourth, he received a pill from one of the tournament doctors. He was lethargic and sullen, and his head slipped to his chest with each mistake, 44 of them unforced in three sets. After hitting two aces in the fi rst two minutes of the match, he added just three in the next three hours, along with fi ve double faults. Where did that energy go? Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates His long-time confi dant, coach and winning a point during his match against friend, Marian Vajda, leaned forward in his Austria’s Dominic Thiem yesterday. box, twitching nervously. Thiem almost broke again. By Kevin Mitchell Djokovic saved to go ahead for the fi rst Melbourne time since the fi rst set — and he still looked like losing the match. The exchanges were closer now, but ew players in tennis want to love parity was not good enough for Djokovic, and be loved as much as Novak trailing by the odd set in three. Djokovic and, while he lost a few One more slip, and he would be done. Ffriends in one of the most curi- He began to look a little like the Djoko- ous meltdowns of his career, he stilled the vic who had moved so smoothly through boorish hecklers in a remarkable fi ghtback the draw, when he breezed past six op- to win his eighth Australian Open. ponents in 12 hours and 29 minutes — six Beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, hours fewer than 26-year-old Thiem’s 6-3, 6-4 in a minute under four hours path to the final. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy in the Rod Laver Arena on a mild Sunday The younger man will have been hurting as he poses with ballkids after beating Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the final night returned him to No 1 in the world, from a fi ve-setter and three that went four, match of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. as well as putting him two majors behind including four hours and 19 minutes spent Rafael Nadal and three behind Roger Fed- beating Nadal in the quarters, followed by erer, whose record 20 slams once looked a three hours and 42 minutes to beat Alex- mountain too high for his peers. ander Zverev. BOTTOMLINE Not now. Perhaps that is why he lost his way, an Djokovic said to Thiem in the immediate errant forehand allowing Djokovic back aftermath of a compelling, fl awed fi nal, “It into the contest. was a tough match but you were very close Invigorated, his step a little lighter, to winning it. You have a lot more time and Djokovic served out the set to love and you will get more than one.” dragged his opponent into a deciding fi fth He paid his usual compliments to the that did not look remotely possible 42 Three-times unlucky but fans, some of whom had been booing him minutes earlier. not long before. The buzz fi lled Djokovic’s tingling soul Thiem said to the crowd, “Huge con- again. He was a transformed beast, hungry grats to Novak. Amazing what you are do- for the kill. ing through all these years. I’m really proud Thiem, whose strength and tenacity are Thiem closer to breakthrough and happy that I can compete in these times. highly respected, strained for consistency. Reuters him to give them a proper contest. I fell a little bit short today. There are way The 18 hours and 24 minutes he spent Melbourne Thiem did not disappoint. more important things in life. It is really getting to the concluding Sunday was “I’m happy I can compete with tough what this beautiful country is going gnawing at his stamina. these guys on the best level,” said through.I hope a disaster like [the continu- Djokovic won a battle of wills in a long ominic Thiem fi nished sec- Thiem, who in the quarter-fi nals had ing bushfi res] never happens again.” rally for a break point that must have felt ond-best for the third time beaten Nadal in a slam for the fi rst For Thiem, who got close to winning his like fresh water in the desert, punching the in a Grand Slam fi nal yes- time after fi ve previous failed at- fi rst slam at the third attempt, the pain will air as he moved to within four games of terday, but the 26-year-old tempts. be deep but temporary. victory. DAustrian will leave Melbourne Park “I really hope also that I win my He did not live up to the Latin-savvy Vajda was up on his feet, alongside confi dent that he is not too far away maiden slam when they’re still urgings of a couple of Austrian fans who Goran Ivanisevic. from becoming a major winner. around because it just counts more, wore shirts spelling out, “Carpe Thiem”, A day earlier, Djokovic was so nervous, Novak Djokovic withstood a fi erce yeah.” Once Djokovic rallied back to but his day will surely come. he told them to cancel a scheduled joint challenge before overhauling Thiem get the match on level terms, Thiem It was not so much Djokovic’s tennis press conference. 6-4 4-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 to clinch an started feeling the strain having en- that went haywire, as his head. In charge of his game and his head now, eighth Australian Open crown. dured a diffi cult campaign in the last From 3-0, 4-1 and 5-2 up in an uneven Djokovic upped the tempo. The Serb’s triumph — which two weeks. start, he was gifted the fi rst set with a dou- As John McEnroe observed, “you gotta took his Grand Slam haul to 17 ti- While Djokovic lost a single set on ble fault, and looked comfortable enough. have patience, then you go big”. Djokovic tles — meant tennis’ Big Three of his way to the fi nal, Thiem had spent Broken early in the second set, he recov- went big. Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Winner Novak Djokovic and runner-up Dominic Thiem pose with their a total of eight hours on court in his ered to 4-all and then mysteriously im- So did Thiem. Nadal have now shared the last 13 trophies after the Australian Open final yesterday. last two matches alone. ploded. But he could not convert either of two majors between them. Over the past “I didn’t have easy matches, es- The ninth game of the frame resembled break-back points and fell 1-3 down. 19 months, Thiem has had three two sets, I defi nitely gave everything anything.” Thiem had a slow start as pecially from the quarters on. Beat- a reality show gone wrong, diffi cult to The rallies were closer and longer. As the chances to break that iron grip. He I had. Well, Novak is part of three Djokovic built a 3-0 lead on his way ing Rafa in over four hours, then watch, impossible to understand. drama approached four hours, Djokovic fell in straight sets to ‘King of Clay’ guys who are by far the best players to winning the opening set. two days later going back out again Fighting his own game as much as his served for the title. Thiem resisted as best Nadal in the 2018 French Open fi nal to have ever played tennis. When it seemed like it will be a against Sascha (Zverev),” he said. opponent’s, Djokovic double-faulted to go he could, grabbing a point. Djokovic aced but took the 12-time Roland Garros “If you play a Grand Slam fi nals repeat of last year when Djokovic “Unbelievably intense, close match. 15-30 down. for the ninth time. champion to four sets last June. against him, it’s always going to be thrashed Nadal in a one-sided fi nal, “I’m very aware and sure now that Given a time violation — correctly — for Thiem hit long, then wide — and wide On Sunday, the Austrian appeared a match where very small details are Thiem bounced back. I can play on a very high level for a slow serving, he swore at a small section of again. to be heading towards a four-set deciding. The packed Rod Laver Arena full Grand Slam. Didn’t have any the crowd, “Shut the *#@* up!” The chair They hugged at the net.