First-timers battle for glory
For the very first time in four years, a Grand Slam men's singles tournament will end without Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic as the champion.
Dominic Thiem of Australia will face friend and first-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev of Germany for their 1st Grand Slam titles after they won their last-four suits in contrasting styles about Friday.
Sunday's final will dsicover a first-time Grand Slam champion for the first time since Croatian Marin Cilic won in Flushing Meadows in 2014. It also means there will be a Grand Slam champion apart from Djokovic, Nadal or Federer for the very first time since Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka won the third of his tennis majors at the united states Open in 2016.
One may expect some very nice attacking tennis from both players. Zverev will, however, need to be cautious in the manner he approached in the semifinal. The German simply cannot expect to escape with the number of inconsistencies that he displayed against Carreno Busta.
The German must introduce far more variety into his game, especially from the mid-court area to close out the points against Thiem. Indulging in extended, baseline rallies will only draw out additional errors from his groundstrokes and so tilt the balance and only Dominic Thiem.
Thiem can look to dominate the overall game from the baseline as he did as a result superbly against Medvedev in the semifinal. On come back games especially one will discover the Austrian displaying a touch of Rafael Nadal by standing up countless feet behind the baseline. This not merely helps him consider the pace off the ball but likewise affords him a bit more court length to execute his topspin induced groundstrokes.
Thiem hopes fourth time's the charm after seizing on just one more chance to win his first-ever Grand Slam title. The 27-year-older, who has already reached a Grand Slam final three times - and then lose on each occasion, well aware of the heartbreak that may be waiting for you should he once more be denied.
"It is the biggest goal and also the biggest dream I have in my tennis position since a couple of years," the world number three told reporters.
"Since the moment We realized that maybe one day I could make it, and especially since We played the 1st finals of the French Start (in 2018). This was the biggest target I would like to achieve."
Thiem shed to Rafa Nadal at Roland-Garros in 2018 and 2019. But his greatest disappointment came at the hands of world number 1 Novak Djokovic, who overcame Thiem's best attempts in a four-hour-expanded, five-set thriller at the Australian Start this year.
Thiem joked he'll get giving Britain's Andy Murray a call up if he suffers a good fourth right Grand Slam last defeat on Sunday.
Zverev becomes the initially German man to attain the final of a tennis main since Rainer Schuttler in the 2003 and is bidding to be the initially German men's Grand Slam champion since Boris Becker won the 1996 Australian Open.
"I'm to my first Grand Slam last and that's all that counts. Sunday is going to be extremely challenging. But I'm looking forward to it. I'm in the ultimate of a Grand Slam. Both best players on earth will be playing on court," said Zverev.
