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Andy Murray continues to impress at the China Open. The former World No. 1 finds himself in the quarterfinal at Beijing on the back of an impressive 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (4-7), 6-1 win over his fellow Brit Cameron Norrie in the Round of 16.
While he overcome the stern test of Matteo Berrettini in his Round of 32 clash, a sterner test lies ahead for Murray as he will face the No. 1 seed at the China Open, Austria’s Dominic Thiem in his upcoming quarterfinal match..
Having cruised to straight sets wins over Richard Gasquet and Zhang Zhizhen in earlier rounds, Thiem has been dominant so far at Beijing. He would be aiming to improve his record on non-clay surfaces in the remainder of the year before competing at the Australian Open at the beginning of the next season.
Murray and Thiem have faced each other on three occasions so far and it is the former who leads 2-1 in their head to head count. While Thiem has overcame Murray on clay, the Brit has recorded both of his wins against the Austrian on hard courts.
Interestingly, all of their previous contests have been 3-set affairs, so it won’t be a surprise if their upcoming contest goes the distance as well.
With each passing day and with each resounding win, Murray seems to be growing in fitness and confidence as he seeks to recapture his lost glory.
On the other hand, Thiem's time at the Laver Cup in the company of legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and other fellow young aspirants would have helped the Austrian grow as a player as he aims for more consistency outside clay.
With a berth in the ATP Finals on the line, Thiem would look to play out of his skin as he takes on a rejuvenated Murray in the quarterfinals.
Even though the Brit has played exceptionally well so far at Beijing, his reintegration into the singles game is still in progress. He would have nothing to lose when he takes on Thiem in the match tomorrow.
While Thiem has already defeated Nadal and Novak Djokovic once apiece and Federer twice this year, the Austrian would still feel the pressure once he steps out on the court to face the 2016 China Open champion.
Thiem is an effective baseliner and isn’t afraid to engage in long rallies, so Murray should look to keep the points short or risk turning the contest into a physically demanding one, something that can work against the Scot.
The fans can’t wait for the action to get underway in the mouth-watering quarterfinal contest at Beijing!
Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in three sets.
