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Dominic Thiem achieved his biggest triumph in two years by defeating top seed Hubert Hurkacz in the European Open quarterfinals in Antwerp on Friday.
Since recovering from a significant wrist injury in March, former US Open champion Thiem has had difficulty regaining even closer to his top form. But the Austrian, who has gradually restored his confidence, overcame a set deficit to defeat World No. 11 Hurkacz.
Tennis fans were quick to voice their delight. One user remarked that they were extremely proud of the Austrian and believed that Thiem, who is currently ranked No. 132, could quickly enter the top 100 if he continued to play like this.
"Wow, words can’t describe the amount of joy I feel right now, like holy s**t. I’m so proud of him, semifinals but also, today’s match, incredible. I have the chills right now. We are so close to top 100, and I know he can do it. Dominic Thiem, LETS GOOOO," the user wrote.
Another user thought Thiem's "patience" and "hard work" were paying off and wrote:
"Great to see. He has been more patient than I am. Patience and hard work are paying off."
Another fan wished Thiem a happy ending to the current season and the start of a new one in 2023.
"Congratulations Domi! So happy to see you gradually getting where you want to be, deserve to be! Hope you will have a wonderful end of 2022 and great 2023," the account tweeted.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
"Today it went my way and I have to enjoy it" - Dominic Thiem
In a post-match press conference, Dominic Thiem pondered his victory over Hurkacz and referred to it as "unbelievable."
"This victory especially is unbelievable because it’s my first victory over an almost-Top 10 guy in my comeback process. It was unbelievable to play, a great atmosphere and a great match," he said.
"Indoors, especially against someone who is serving that great, it’s about little details and margins. Today the luck was on my side on that match point. The match could easily have been gone, but it’s like that at the highest level and I’m very happy in general to even get to those close situations again. Today it went my way and I have to enjoy it," he added.
Sebastian Korda, who secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-2, will be Thiem's next opponent.
