Dominic Thiem fights back to land maiden Vienna Open title

Diego Schwartzman put up a massive fight against Austrian favourite Dominic Thiem, but the top seed sealed the Vienna title on home soil.

Dominic Thiem in action during the final.

Dominic Thiem rallied from a set down to beat Diego Schwartzman and claim a maiden Vienna Open title in his homeland on Sunday.

Schwartzman threatened to rip up the script at the Wiener Stadthalle, but top-seeded Austrian Thiem stormed back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Thiem, who had failed to reach the final in his previous nine appearances in the tournament, recovered from a tentative start to stamp his authority on an entertaining match and claim an ATP Tour-leading fifth title of the season.

The world number five struggled with his serve in the first set and Schwartzman capitalised, but the favourite turned the tide to win a 16th title of his career with the backing of a partisan crowd.

Thiem failed to hold in the opening game of the match, but Argentinian Schwartzman was then broken to love in his first service game.

 

Schwartzman gained the initiative again by breaking for a 3-2 lead and took the set in emphatic fashion, with a break to love of his own.

Thiem took that in his stride and applied pressure early in the second set without immediate reward as the two continued to serve up high-quality rallies, trading punches from the baseline and mixing it up with deft drop shots.

The two-time French Open runner-up pumped his fist after fifth seed Schwartzman netted a forehand to go a break down at 5-4, and Thiem grasped the opportunity to serve out the set.

Thiem had the momentum and charged into a 2-0 lead in the decider, another errant Schwartzman forehand giving him the break in the opening game.

Schwartzman continued to put up a fight but could not force a break of his own and Thiem dropped to the deck in celebration after running in to put away a forehand winner and seal the title.