WATCH: Dominic Thiem hits 2 tweener winners in 1 game in Geneva loss
ATP
Dominic Thiem reminded us why form is temporary, but class is permanent in the ultimate show at the 2022 Geneva Open.
The Austrian enforcer, known for his sheer bravery and ability to exercise unrestrained power with every swing, demonstrated his eye for the trick shot as he pulled off two winning tweeners in succession.
Thiem was playing Italy's Marco Cecchinato in the first round of the ATP 250 event in Geneva. He was chasing his first win of the season after losing his last four Tour-level matches and winning only one set.
But with every week, his level has been getting better. After all, Thiem has only just returned from a lengthy layoff because of a wrist injury that forced him to shut down his 2021 campaign after the Mallorca Open last June.
Once more, Thiem competed to the last point but came up short. However, the former world number three treated the fans to the "Thiem Show" with two exquisite between-the-legs shots against a flabbergasted Cecchinato.
Midway through the second set, Thiem reacted quickly to a Cecchinato drop shot, and the Italian managed to play a backhand lob, which the former US Open champion chased before finishing it with a sumptuous tweener.
Thiem could afford a smile and shook his racket, and the next point was carbon copy as he unleashed the hot dog winner once again, much to the delight of the home crowd.
It was a battle between two men who took the French Open by storm in 2018, with Thiem winning their semifinal bout that season. Cecchinato has earned his revenge as the pair are looking to return to their glory days.
After unsuccessfully finishing his preparation for the 2022 Roland Garros, the two-time French Open finalist will try to prove his qualities in Paris as he will also play at the 2022 Wimbledon, where he will use his protected ranking to enter the tournament.
