Dominic Thiem crashes out of Roland Garros in round one against Dellien

Dominic Thiem is now 0-6 since his return from injury as he continues to struggle with his level of tennis on clay.

The Austrian had somewhat of a down year before the injury happened playing way below his level. It seems like some of those issues persisted through the injury as Thiem continues to struggle with his tennis more so than physically. Obviously, it was always going to be a struggle for him coming back but we've seen other player's like Wawrinka coming back and winning matches after a long layoff but that's not working for Thiem.

He faced a very tricky in Dellien, a clay-court specialist who wears you down with long rallies and annoying tennis. It was always a question whether Thiem could best that type of player in 5 sets so soon after the injury yet the way he lost this match is very troublesome. It was never close and Dellien completely dominated play from start to finish.

Read also

2022 Roland Garros ATP & WTA Prize Money Breakdown with €43.6m overall

The Bolivian basically timed his tennis as if he has 5 times better and could take time off between games. He upped his level when he needed to and toned it down when he needed to. Theim had no response and he was never even remotely close to winning a set, let alone the match. Thiem was more aggressive because he needed to be.

Playing passive against Dellien gives you nothing as he will return everything. He simply could not control the errors. Far too many and far too many in crucial rallies for the Austrian who did not have a single break point. Eventually, Hugo finished off the match in about two hours 6-3 6-2 6-4.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe