Thiem opens Swiss Open Gstaad campaign, returns to clay with victory over Muller on Monday

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem secured a thumping win in straight sets to begin his journey at the Swiss Open.

The 29-year-old defeated France’s Alexandre Muller in the tournament opener with a score of 6-1, 7-6 on Monday.

Talking after the match, Thiem expressed satisfaction with his performance by stating: “It’s always great to be here. Already on Wednesday, when I arrived, it felt like home here. With the surroundings, with the mountains, the fresh air.

“Everything is really great here, and also when I step on the court I feel great memories from 2015 and last year, when I made a nice run to the semis. The conditions here suit my game very well, so I’m super happy that I got the win today as well.”

The result will be a positive one for Thiem who has struggled with injuries and has only returned to professional tennis in the recent past.

The former world number three, who has not only won a major title but has also played in three Grand Slam finals where he ended as a runner-up, will now face Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic in the next round of the competition on Wednesday.