• Big-hitting Italian lifts game to beat Austrian 7-6 (3), 6-3• Thiem finds world No 8 too lively over an hour and quarter
Whether it was his own lassitude or his opponent’s fighting spirit that spoiled Dominic Thiem’s spotless progress to the semi–finals of the Nitto ATP Tour Finals, the Austrian had to concede that Matteo Berrettini was too good for him in two sets here on Thursday afternoon.
Having earlier become the first player to beat
Novak Djokovic and
Roger Federer back at this tournament, Thiem found the world No 8 – a Finals debutant at 23 who lost his matches against opponents with 36 slam titles between them – too lively over an hour and a quarter.