Thiem devastates Medvedev and takes the Godó
The Austrian Dominic Thiem relieved the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the palmares of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Conde de Godó Trophy, to beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final, 6-4 and 6-0, in just one hour and thirteen minutes.
With tennis seamless, the fifth player in the world ranking achieved his first title in the land of the Catalan capital, after losing the final two years ago, just before the Balearic Islands.
And that Medvedev surprised Thiem with a brilliant start that helped him to be 3-0 ahead. The Russian, more on track and with a very aggressive tennis, connected winning shots while the Austrian, somewhat tense, seemed to accuse his role as favorite.
But Thiem had a plan: to insist with the reverse cut to despair to Medvedev, unable to counteract it with his flat blows, as in him it is natural.
A strategy that the Central European did not use on Saturday against Nadal, with much more tactical repertoire than the Russian and a tennis topspin that would be that more damage to the third seed of the tournament.
If Thiem played the eleven times champion of Godó face to face, this Sunday he chose to weave a subtle spider web around Medvedev and make him fall into his net. Defend with the cut back and attack with powerful rights to lines and subtle left that were unattainable for his rival.
At 25, the new champion of Godó is in full maturity and has become a true specialist in land, a surface where, every day that passes, he presents with more vehemence his candidacy to relieve Nadal.
Thus, after that 3-0 against, Thiem chained five games in a row, which could have been six if he did not waste a breaking ball to close the first set.
Medved saved his serve and asked for the doctor’s assistance while complaining about his right shoulder. Upon leaving the track again, the number 14 of the ATP suffered even more corrective.
Thiem closed the set with his service and endorsed a 6-0 in the second. Twenty minutes of gale in which Medvedev, much less struggled in the brick dust than his adversary, was only able to make five points.