'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match details
Fixture: (4) Dominic Thiem vs Lorenzo Sonego
Date: 13 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,082,960
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 5 pm GMT, 1 pm EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Dominic Thiem vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Dominic Thiem has reached the third round of the Italian Open for the first time since 2017, and he will face Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals.
Thiem returned to the ATP tour in Madrid after a two-month break, where he impressively put together a run to the semis. The Austrian defeated Marcos Giron, Alex de Minaur and John Isner before bowing out to eventual champion Alexander Zverev in the last four.
Thiem then fought off a big scare in the second round at Rome against Marton Fucsovics. The 27-year-old was down a set and a break before he fought back to take the match 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-0.
Lorenzo Sonego, meanwhile, has had an eventful past few months on the tour. The Italian reached the final in Vienna last fall, defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic along the way, following which he registered a few other strong results too.
Sonego has already won a title this year - the Sardegna Open in Cagliari - which has helped him crack the top 30 of the ATP rankings.
The 26-year-old started his tournament in Rome with a hard-fought three-set win over Gael Monfils. He then defeated compatriot Gianluca Mager in straight sets to set up the match against Thiem.
Dominic Thiem vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
The third-round encounter in Rome is the second match between the two players, and Dominic Thiem currently leads the head-to-head 1-0 over Lorenzo Sonego.
Their only previous meeting came on the claycourts of Kitzbuhel in 2019, where the tables were turned and Thiem was the local favorite. The Austrian prevailed 6-3, 7-6(6) over Sonego in the semifinals.
Dominic Thiem vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Dominic Thiem might be the heavy favorite on paper, but he will not be without his concerns after a shaky start to his campaign in Rome. The Austrian was far from his best against Fucsovics, particularly in the first set, where he gave away a few too many errors.
Lorenzo Sonego, on his part, will look to latch on to any lapses in concentration from Thiem and use his heavy forehand to rob the Austrian of time. Sonego will also have the vocal home support on his side, and his confidence will be sky-high after coming through the first two rounds over tough opponents.
But while Thiem may be rusty, he is still the best claycourter on tour after Rafael Nadal. The 27-year-old's forehand and movement are outstanding on the dirt, and his single-handed backhand seems to be going from strength to strength in the lead-up to Roland Garros.
If Thiem can keep his error count low and maintain his focus for the full match, he should be able to power his way through to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in three sets.
