Dominic Thiem rallies past Zverev to win U.S. Open

Seven months ago, Dominic Thiem said it would count more if he won his first Grand Slam with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic still around.

What’s the value of this one?

Thiem, the second-seeded Austrian, rallied past German Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the U.S. Open final to become a major champion without having to go through the Big Three.

But it was still hard-earned.

Zverev, the 23-year-old face of the next generation, broke Thiem to go up 2-1 in the third set. But he allowed Thiem to break right back and work his way into a match that lasted four hours, one minute.

Each man was broken while serving for the match in the fifth, forcing the tiebreak.

For years, Thiem, Zverev and others battled unsuccessfully to unseat the legends. The fight extended as both men tightened up in the tiebreak. Zverev hit a 68 mile-per-hour serve, and won the point. He also double-faulted twice.

Thiem finally ended it on his third championship point, becoming the first man to win the U.S. Open final from two sets down since Pancho Gonzales in 1949. The last man to do it in any major final was Argentine Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open (the last major without a Big Three member in the semifinals).

“I wish we could have two winners today,” said Thiem, friends with Zverev since 2014. “I think we both deserved it.”

Thiem became the first man to win his first Slam in six years and the first major champion other than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in four years. He’s the first player born in the 1990s to win a Slam and the second Austrian, after Thomas Muster, who took the 1995 French Open.

Federer (knee injury) and Nadal (travel concerns) missed the Open. Djokovic was defaulted in the fourth round last Sunday for hitting a ball that struck a linesperson in the throat.

Thiem became a co-favorite with Russian Daniil Medvedev, whom he throttled in a semifinal sweep Friday night. All week, Thiem downplayed any difference in not having the Big Three in the bubble.

“It doesn’t matter if I play one of the big three members or if I play somebody else,” he said. “From the moment Novak was out of the tournament, it was clear that there’s going to be a new Grand Slam champion. From that moment on, that was also out of my mind.”

No doubt Thiem paid his dues.

He played three previous Grand Slam finals, losing to Nadal twice at the French Open and to Djokovic at the Australian Open in February. Nadal is a record 12-time French Open champion (going for 13 starting next week). Djokovic is a record eight-time Australian Open champion.

“I really hope, also, that I win my maiden slam when they’re still around,” Thiem said after falling to Djokovic in five sets in Melbourne, “because it just counts more.”

This one counts plenty.

Thiem entered a Slam final as the favorite for the first time after dropping one set over his first six matches. He started tight, but then Zverev began crumbling as the title got within his reach. Momentum see-sawed in the final sets.

“I wish you would have missed a little bit more so I could hold that trophy up,” Zverev said in a tearful runner-up speech.

As time goes on, the details will fade. Who was there, who wasn’t. How Thiem played.

But this fact will endure: Thiem is a major champion.

MORE: How Jay-Z, Beyonce helped Naomi Osaka come out of her shell

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

source: nbcnews.com