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Match details
Fixture: Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Zverev
Date: 13 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Final
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: Not Before 4 pm EDT (1.30 am IST)
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Zverev preview
A maiden Grand Slam title beckons both Dominic Thiem and Alexander ‘Sascha’ Zverev as they square off in the final of the 2020 US Open.
Strangely enough, both players lost their first match at the Cincinnati Masters, raising doubts about their ability to succeed at the US Open. And yet here we are, with the two good friends set to take center-stage in New York on Sunday after what has been a fantastic turnaround for both.
For World No. 3 Dominic Thiem this is a fourth Major final, but the first against a non-Big 3 opponent. As such, he’ll know that this is his best chance to win his first Grand Slam title in an era still dominated by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Alexander Zverev, meanwhile, will be playing his very first Major final on Sunday. The German had a dismal record in Grand Slam events until this year, in which he has made the semis at Melbourne (where he lost to Thiem) and now the final in New York.
The two players come into the match on the back of rather contrasting victories. Dominic Thiem has swept past his opponents in convincingly, having dropped only one set on his way to the final. Alexander Zverev, on the other hand, has had to battle hard against almost every one of his opponents.
The Austrian was especially spectacular in his semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev, whom he dismissed in straight sets. The Russian was touted to be one of the favorites for the title but he struggled to tackle Thiem’s jaw-dropping groundstroke barrage.
Medvedev served for both the second and third sets, and even held set points in the latter. However, the Austrian upped his game when it mattered the most, to emerge victorious 6-2, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5).
The German, meanwhile, had been taken to four sets by Kevin Anderson, Brandon Nakashima, Adrian Mannarino and Borna Coric in the first week. But his toughest test came against Pablo Carreno Busta in the semifinals.
Zverev played some poor tennis against a solid Carreno Busta early on to quickly find himself down by two sets to love. Staring at an exit, Zverev made wholesale improvements in his game to come back from that kind of deficit for the first time in his career and win 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Confidence will be high for both players coming into the final, but the pressure will be slightly greater on Dominic Thiem. Seen as the most worthy successor to the Big 3, he is widely expected to break his Grand Slam drought on Sunday; anything less will be considered a disappointment.
Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Zverev head-to-head
Dominic Thiem leads Alexander Zverev by a margin of 7-2 in the head-to-head record. The Austrian has won his last three matches against Zverev, with the most recent one being in the semis of the 2020 Australian Open.
Alexander Zverev has defeated Dominic Thiem only once on hardcourt, and that was way back in 2016. The duo have faced off thrice before in Grand Slam events, with Thiem winning all of those matches.
Dominic Thiem vs Alexander Zverev prediction
Once the nerves have settled, both players will be expected to produce some spectacular attacking tennis. Alexander Zverev will look to dominate with his mammoth serve, while Dominic Thiem will try and control proceedings with his booming forehand.
Zverev will, however, have to be cautious in the way he approaches this match. The German will likely not be able to get away with the kind of inconsistency that he displayed against Carreno Busta.
His big first serve bailed him out on several occasions against the Spaniard, but Thiem being arguably the superior returner could nullify the potency of that weapon. The Austrian has been re-directing the pace of his opponent's serve very well so far, and has also been able to get a lot of his returns back in play.
The fifth seed's second serve will most likely cost him throughout the match, as it is yet to show any major signs of improvement lately. If the German’s first serve is found wanting even in the slightest, there could be no way out for him against the class of Dominic Thiem.
Zverev's forehand will also be crucial, especially since it will have to deal with quite a few down-the-line backhands from Thiem. This wing has been quite wobbly for Zverev lately as he has been seen mishitting the ball on several occasions.
Dominic Thiem on his part will look to dominate the game from the baseline, the way he did so superbly against Medvedev. On return games the Austrian has been channeling the style of Rafael Nadal, by standing several feet behind the baseline. That not only gives him more time to react, but also affords him a bit more space to execute his topspin-heavy groundstrokes.
The German will have to introduce a lot of variety into his game, especially from the mid-court area, to try and close out points against Thiem. Indulging in long baseline rallies will only draw out more errors from his groundstrokes, and thus tilt the balance in favor of the Austrian.
Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in four sets.
