After some positive moments in Estoril, Dominic Thiem got back to losing ways with another early loss at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
This loss didn't come in the main draw because Thiem had to play the qualifiers to get there, but he failed on the first hurdle. He won't be in the main draw because he lost in his first qualifying match against ATP veteran Roberto Bautista Agut, whose ranking also suffered.
These players were once highly ranked a couple of years ago, but in 2024, they're playing qualifiers for the ATP Masters 1000. This was a very hard draw for the Austrian, and it was evident pretty early that the Spaniard was a level above Thiem.
The opening set wasn't competitive at all, as Bautista Agut won it 6-1 in just 27 minutes. The Austrian has been struggling for a while, losing to players far worse than Bautista Agut, so this wasn't a huge surprise.
He did have some bright moments in Estoril, but it's clear that he's nowhere near the level needed to win matches like this. Thiem was easily outplayed in the first set, failing to win most points on his serve.
On return, he barely even touched his opponent, as Bautista Agut didn't face a single break point. The second set was a bit different as the 2020 US Open champion battled better. He did lose his serve early but then broke back and held his own for a while.
Eventually, the Spaniard was able to break once more and take a 4-2 lead, after which it was pretty easy to finish things off, winning the match 6-1, 6-2.
It's hard to say where Thiem goes after this loss, but he seems determined to give it his all to try and save his career. His level is not good at the moment, and his wrist is troubling him again, so he's definitely seen better days.
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