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Dominic Thiem and the others present at the Adria Tour have been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons over the last few days. Ever since four players present at the controversial event - Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov, Viktor Troicki and Novak Djokovic - tested positive for COVID-19, there has been nothing but criticism in the direction of Thiem and Co.
Later, Zadar tournament director and tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic also tested positive for the virus, compounding the problems for everyone involved.
The Austrian in particular has been under the scanner as he has continued with his packed schedule even in the aftermath of the disaster. Thiem has refused to self-isolate despite fans and experts urging him to do so, instead crossing borders on an almost daily basis.
Dominic Thiem is now set to host a new tournament in Austria to help young and ambitious players learn the ropes of the tennis. Organized in association with Red Bull and his father, this event would be in addition to the "Thiem's 7" exhibition scheduled to start next week.
Combining fun and professionalism in the best possible way: Dominic Thiem on new tournament
Dominic Thiem's tournament is called "Red Bull Thiem, Set, Match", and will take place at different venues across Austria starting from 8 August. There will be six qualification rounds, and the final stage of the tournament will take place in Vienna from 25 October.
The tournament will have both men's and women's draws, and the finals will take place on center court at Wiener Stadthalle during the ERSTE Bank Open in Vienna.
Talking about the tournament, Dominic Thiem was quoted by the tournament's website as saying:
"With Red Bull Thiem, Set, Match I want to create a new tournament series for ambitious tennis players and fulfill a long-cherished wish."
The World No. 3 further went on to talk about the core objective behind the tournament. While giving young players a chance to shine is the top priority, the event also aims to mix entertainment with competitive high-quality tennis.
"When it came to the idea for the tournament, it was my aim to combine fun and professionalism in the best possible way," Thiem said.
The scoring and format of the event will be similar to that of many exhibition tournaments that have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be best-of-seven-game sets and a tiebreaker at 3-3, with each match consisting of one set only.
A special prize has been decided for the winners, in the form of a personal training session with Dominic Thiem. That session will cover everything from strengths and weaknesses to autographs and selfies, according to the tournament's website.
