Dominic Thiem admits he was ‘freaking out’ after ‘messing up’ in second round

Australian Open
Dominic Thiem stretching

Dominic Thiem was given an almighty scare by Alex Bolt in the second round of the Australian Open and he admits he was “freaking out inside and outside” after slipping up in the second set.

The Austrian looked set for an easy match as he was a set up and had a 5-3 lead in the second, but Bolt stormed back and in the end it went to five sets.

Thiem eventually got the job done in three hours and 22 minutes, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-2 in three hours, 22 minutes.

The fifth seed admits he was upset with himself after allowing his Australian opponent back into the match.

“I got crazy today in the third set. I think body language was not the best because it was, of course, in my head that I should be 2-0 up, 6-2, 6-4, I should be up. I messed it up,” he said.

“Instead of that, he raised really his level. The crowd got it going. It was all of a sudden a really tight third set that shouldn’t happen. That’s why I was freaking out inside and also outside today.”

“He raised really his level. The crowd got going. It was all of a sudden a really tight third set that shouldn’t happen … I was freaking out.”

Thiem will face either South African Kevin Anderson or Taylor Fritz from the United States next.

Meanwhile, 10th seed Gael Monfils is also into the third round as the Frenchman secured a 4-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 7-5 win over Ivo Karlovic from Croatia, 17th seed Andrey Rublev from Russia was a 6-2, 6-3, 7-7 (7-5) winner over Yuichi Sugita from Japan and 19th seed John Isner beat Alejandro Tabilo from Chile 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

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Dominic Thiem

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