The final day here at the Vienna Open will feature two good friends battling it out for the title at the Austrian capital. Dominic Thiem will be looking to capture his second title on Austrian soil after winning in Kitzbuhel earlier this year. Whereas Diego Schwartzman will be hoping a title here in Austria will boost his chances for qualification in London next month.
Vienna Open Final: Dominic Thiem vs Diego Schwartzman
Dominic Thiem vs Diego Schwartzman
Head-to-head: Thiem leads 4-2
The pair know each other’s game so well as they have met a total of six times. The Austrian leads their overall record 4-2, but they are tied 1-1 on hard courts. Their most recent meeting on the hard court was two years ago in Canada where Schwartzman got the victory over the world #5.
In the past, Thiem has looked fatigued particularly towards the end of the year because of the heavy schedule he plays. But this season, he has been rather consistent. After a slow start for the first two months, he defeated Federer at the Indian Wells final and reached the final yet again at Roland Garros before falling at the last hurdle to Rafael Nadal. Thiem has played well all week and has look fired up when winning big points. The Austrian’s best result here at Vienna, prior to this week, was the quarterfinals twice in 2018 and 2013.
Schwartzman has slain some big players in the past few rounds. In the quarterfinals, he upset the second seed Karen Khachanov in straight sets 7-6 6-2. The Argentine faced Gael Monfils in the semifinals, where the Frenchman has been finding some groove throughout the week. However, Monfils could not find any weaknesses in Schwartzman’s game and eventually lost easily in straight sets, 6-3 6-2.
Despite the good week here for the Argentine, it will be a difficult match for him as he has play against both a top player and the crowd. It could prove to be a close match since they know each other’s game so well. But with the way Thiem has been playing and the focus he has in his eyes all week, he will be tough to stop.
Prediction: Thiem in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
