Dominic Thiem played one of his best matches of the season at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating French veteran Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the ATP Masters Series event.
Thiem secured his first ATP Masters level win since 2021 and only his fourth on the tour in 2023.
Speaking to the media after the match Thiem mentioned that he can now hit the ball without any worries about his wrist - the injury that had forced him to stay off the tour for nine months since June 2021:
“Well, it was not the victory itself but more the way I played, which makes me think positive. There were signs of or some good signs already last week in Estoril. Now I improved even more. The shots are getting way better. I have the feeling that I can go full power for many, many shots again with the wrist. There is no restriction anymore. Now the goal is to put everything together, because there is way more to tennis, way more things required to play good matches than to just be able to hit full. That’s the goal right now.”
Thiem continued:
“(This) was the first match since a very long time which I was starting up, not down, probably even the first match of the year where I was not starting with a break down or even but where I was starting going ahead, which felt very good. Then I played it through until the end and was good.”
Also adding:
“I have the feeling that the shots are there, the power is there like before, but I was using it wrong. I was not using it in the right way, but there is full trust again in the wrist, full trust again in the forehand. Some positive signs happened already in Estoril, and today I had the feeling that I was doing from time to time good damage with both forehand and backhand.”
Very impressive from Thiem: - Didn't face a break point - First ATP M1000 win since his terrible wrist injury (last was in Rome 2021)
Dominic Thiem plays his best match of the year to easily beat Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-4 and reach the 2nd round in Monte Carlo vs... Holger Rune! Not a bad start for his post-Massu Era...
