In his first hardcourt match of the season, Dominic Thiem looked battled back from a set down to defeat American J.J. Wolf and book a spot in the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.
The 2020 US Open champion lost a tight first-set tiebreak but rallied back to secure a 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(6) victory, saving two match points in the process. After dealing with injuries for over a year, Thiem finally made his return to the hardcourt after 18 months away.
The Austrian matched Wolf's power from the baseline, looking like he'd never left. After an exchange of breaks, the tiebreak ensued during which Wolf raced to a 4-1 lead. However, Thiem was able to level the score at 5-5, before his opponent applied more pressure which saw the American take the opening set.
There was another exchange of breaks in the second set, as each man appeared to match the other's intensity. However, it was Thiem who obtained the crucial break as Wolf attempted to force another tiebreak, leveling the score at one set apiece.
With neither man willing to budge, play was interrupted due to some inclement weather. After over an hour of rain delay, the match resumed with Thiem grabbing a break to lead 4-2. Nonetheless, the former World No.3 failed to serve out the match at 5-3, allowing Wolf to break back and force another tiebreak.
The World No.87 obtained a minibreak to lead 6-4, and was a point away from victory. However, Thiem displayed his championship pedigree, hitting a beautiful forehand winner to save match point. The Austrian leveled the score at 6-6, before closing out the marathon match after three hours and 10 minutes.
Awaiting Thiem in the next round is top seed Grigor Dimitrov, who holds a 4-2 lead in career meetings over the former US Open champion.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
Domi Delights Down South 👊
@domithiem saves 2 match points in a terrific win over Wolf 6-7 7-5 7-6, notching his first victory on a hard court in over 18 months!
Next up: Dimitrov 👀 #WSOpen