Home Cooking | Tennis News Federer Flies To Another Basel Title, Thiem Triumphs in Vienna

By Ricky Dimon

It was good to be home for Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem.

Federer lifted the trophy–again–at the Swiss Indoors Basel on Sunday afternoon, while Thiem treated the Austrian crowd at the Erste Bank Open to his first-ever title at the 500-point tournament.

For Federer, of course, it was nothing new. His victory in Basel was the 10th of his career in his 15th final, improving to 75-9 lifetime at the event. The 38-year-old Swiss accomplished his latest feat in front of the hometown crowd by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and eight minutes.

“I think I played a great match,” Federer noted. “It was a tough opener, in the beginning, the first five games, we had some great rallies. I never looked back. I was great on the offense, made very few unforced errors, and came up with the big shots and served well when I had to. I thought Alex played a great tournament, as well, and I think we both can be very happy. But what a moment for me to win my 10th here in my hometown of Basel.”

“He just puts you under pressure,” de Minaur explained. “Any ball that isn’t a metre from the baseline for him is a short ball. That’s something I learned the hard way today. But I can’t wait until I’m able to step out and play him again.”

In Vienna, Thiem outlasted Diego Schwartzman 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a two-hour and 25-minute final. After getting broken three times in the first set, the top seed did not drop serve the entire rest of the way while facing only one break point. He broke Schwartzman twice in the third, including at 5-3 to finish off one of the most emotional wins of his career in fine fashion.

“It’s been an unbelievable year for me in Austria, to win titles in Kitzbühel and now here in Vienna,” Thiem commented. “I have had some troubles to deliver my best tennis in front of these amazing crowds in Kitzbühel and also here in Vienna and now, in the same year, I win both titles. It is completely unreal to me.”

“I felt very good on court,” said Schwartzman. “The support of the people was crazy. It was really nice and real for me. In another place, really far from home, I felt really nice. After the first set, he played so aggressive. He was better than me and that is why he won the title.”

Thiem, Schwartzman, and de Minaur will now head to the Paris Masters. It will be the penultimate tournament of the year for Thiem (Nitto ATP Finals) and de Minaur (NextGen ATP Finals), while Schwartzman could quality for London with a title.

Federer withdrew from Paris on Monday and will rest up for another appearance at the O2 Arena next month.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.