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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Dominic Thiem vs Pedro Cachin
Date: 29 March 2022
Tournament: AnyTech365 Andalucia Open
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Marbella, Spain
Category: ATP Challenger Tour 125
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €134,920
Live telecast: Challenger TV
Dominic Thiem vs Pedro Cachin preview
Dominic Thiem will make his long-awaited return to professional tennis at the Challenger level when he takes on Argentina's Pedro Cachin in the first round of the 2022 Andalucia Open on Tuesday.
Thiem has been away from the tour for nearly nine months due to an injury to his right wrist that he suffered in Mallorca prior to Wimbledon last year. The Austrian's comeback has been delayed several times.
After illness kept him out of the Australian Open and a knuckle injury kept him out of the South American clay swing, the 28-year-old trained in America ahead of Indian Wells and Miami. However, Thiem decided to skip the two Masters 1000 events to return to his preferred surface of clay.
Cachin is a relatively unknown entity on tour, and his 2022 season has not gone according to plan. The Argentine has not played a single tour-level match, but he has been a mainstay at the Challenger and doubles level. Cachin's best result this year has been a semifinal run at the Challenger event in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
The 26-year-old will come into the match with injury concerns of his own. His last outing was in the the first round at Concepcion, where he withdrew due to injury in the second set.
Dominic Thiem vs Pedro Cachin head-to-head
The first-round encounter in Marbella will be the first match between Thiem and Cachin, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Dominic Thiem vs Pedro Cachin prediction
All eyes will be on Thiem as he makes his official return to the tour. During his prime, the Austrian was one of the best claycourters on tour with his movement, powerful groundstrokes, and physicality. For a long time, his forehand was also one of the strongest on tour.
Thiem has had a long and arduous journey back to full fitness and it remains to be seen if he has tweaked his technique on his groundstrokes to reduce the load on his wrist. Cachin will look to latch onto any mistakes and rustiness in the 28-year-old's game.
Clay is the Austrian's preferred surface though, and even if he is building himself back up, his strengths outweigh that of his opponent's and should be enough to take him into the next round.
Prediction: Thiem to win in two tight sets.
