Thiem on returning to action at Rio Open: "Coming on clay is like coming home"

Dominic Thiem will take part in the Rio Open as top seed and will play his first games since the Australian Open where he reached the final.

This means though him switching from hard courts to clay and for some players it is a major issue but not for Thiem.

“For me, it’s no problem to [play] on clay for one or two weeks and then switch back to hard courts. Coming on clay is like coming home,” Thiem said. “I like the surface and also really like South America. It’s a completely different atmosphere… I’ve had great experiences, won here, won Buenos Aires twice, so it’s very easy for me to come back here.“

The Austrian also spoke about the Australian Open and instead of being disappointed, he now hopes it can now continue.

“I feel great about the performance in Melbourne. It was a hell of a two weeks, beating three Top 10 guys and then losing to Novak Djokovic 6-4 in the fifth,” Thiem said. "Of course, it was a huge disappointment… But after some time to reflect, it was a great tournament and start to the season. I hope to keep that good form going."