Former finalist Dominic Thiem asserted on Tuesday that he was in peak situation and poised to make an indelible mark on the upcoming Australian Open, regardless of struggling a setback with a loss on the Kooyong Classic to kick off his preparations for the Grand Slam occasion.
The 2020 finalist at Melbourne Park, who’s 99 on this planet as he returns from a wrist damage, confirmed flashes of his greatest in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Australian Alex de Minaur at Kooyong.
The 29-year-old Thiem gained the United States Open in 2020 however injured his proper wrist in mid-2021 and was sidelined for eight months.
“The body is good; last year was a good step in the right direction,” stated the Austrian, who pushed Novak Djokovic to 5 units within the 2020 Australian Open closing.
“I hope I can continue in that direction this year. Hopefully, the Open is a good start.”
The former world No. 3 has proven encouraging indicators on his return to the tour, rising from exterior the highest 350 to breach the highest 100 this week after semifinal runs final 12 months at Gstaad, Gijon and Antwerp.
His fast rating rise meant he solely narrowly missed immediately qualifying for the principle draw of the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Monday.
But he was handed a wild card entry and, after twice combating again from a breakdown towards De Minaur, stays optimistic about his probabilities.
“I’m ready to go at the Grand Slam, but I don’t know how good I am at the moment,” he stated.
“It’s tough to go deep in a Slam; all of the players are on a high level. But I had a good preparation so I should be ready – we’ll see.”
He added that the damage was “an interesting experience; probably every top athlete will face at least one major injury during a career.”
“My wild card is a big honor and a big possibility (to do well). If I have the chance to do some damage, we will see if I can make that happen,” he stated.
“I’m glad I’ve left my injury behind; the body feels good.”
