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World No. 3 Dominic Thiem has confirmed that Cincinnati Open is the first tournament that he intends to play when the ATP tour resumes. He has committed to playing the US Open, which begins the week after Cincinnati.
ATP had announced on Wednesday that tennis would return in the United States with the Citi Open in Washington, followed by the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Dominic Thiem had earlier expressed his concerns over traveling to the US. However, just like Novak Djokovic, the 2020 Australian Open runner-up seems to have taken a U-turn as he has confirmed to Servus Sport Aktuell that he will participate in the New York Slam.
Moreover, Thiem has clarified that he has no plans to take part in the Citi Open that will kick off the tour resumption.
Cincinnati is the first tournament I have planned to play: Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem, who has never made it past the quarterfinal at the US Open, will have a golden chance of winning his first Grand Slam in case the Big 3 don't play.
Although Novak Djokovic said he was hopeful of the US Open taking place this year, he has not yet confirmed his participation. Defending champion Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has hinted that he might play only one of the two Grand Slams scheduled to be held in the remainder of the year. Besides, Roger Federer has declared that he will stay away from the court till 2021.
Here's what two-time French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem said about his schedule:
"Cincinnati is the first tournament I have planned to play. I'm happy that the circuit is resuming, it's the first step towards a return to normal. "
Dominic Thiem's performance after the COVID-19 break
Dominic Thiem has taken part in multiple tournaments after the COVID-19 break. He performed decently at the Generali Austrian Pro Series, with the defeat to Sebastian Ofner being the only blip in an otherwise flawless tournament.
Thiem won the first leg of the Adria Tour too, registering victories over Damir Dzumuhur, Dusan Lajovic, Grigor Dimitrov and Filip Krajinovic.
The Austrian is in red hot form, and given that he made it to the final of the Australian Open earlier this year, he will be one of the favorites to win the US Open. Moreover, his consistent performances on clay make him a leading contender for the French Open too.
