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Dominic Thiem is looking forward to his upcoming clash with 2023 Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Madrid Open after getting through his opener at the Masters 1000 event.
Thiem advanced to the second round in Madrid by defeating Kyle Edmund at the Caja Magica on Thursday (April 27). The former US Open champion dominated the Brit, winning 6-4, 6-1 in straight sets, and will now face No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.
Speaking in his on-court interview after the victory against Edmund, Thiem lavished high praise on the Greek, calling him an "unbelievable" and "elegant" player who he really likes.
"Yeah, I am looking forward to that one a lot. I like him a lot, you know. Unbelievable player. I love also to watch his matches, very elegant and we had some great matchups, some big ones as well, ATP Tour Finals finals," Dominic Thiem said.
The 29-year-old went on to say that he is looking forward to doing well and having an "amazing" match with his colleague.
"The last one on clay actually, if I am not wrong, five years ago, so, very long time. During that time, we both made French Open finals, so I hope I can do well and make an amazing match," Thiem said.
"Once I was a tough guy to beat on clay, it's time to work again on that reputation" - Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem had nice words to say about Kyle Edmund as well, hailing him as a very tough and dangerous opponent. The Austrian added that he personally enjoys playing in Madrid because he has some "unbelievable" memories there, which have helped him release a bit and continue to improve.
"[Edmund] is a very tough and dangerous opponent. I love this court, I have some unbelievable memories here, and that helped me release a bit and do better and better," Dominic Thiem said.
The former World No. 3 also admitted that he used to be a "tough" player to beat on clay, which is no longer the case. However, he believes he is improving day by day and that it is about time he reclaims that reputation.
"It's time to work again on that reputation. Once I was a tough guy to beat on clay. It's not the case now but I'm feeling that I'm getting better and back to shape," Thiem said.
Thiem is a two-time runner-up at the Madrid Open, having made the finals in 2017 and 2018.
