‘I enjoyed the fight’ – Dominic Thiem out in Bastad after battle with Sebastian Baez

Dominic Thiem has gone out at the quarter-final stage of the Nordea Open in Sweden after a tough encounter with Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.

The former world number three went into the match looking for three successive wins for the first time since the 2021 Madrid open in May last year.

But it was not to be for Thiem as he lost 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6 to his younger opponent.

“It was such a tough match, so close,” Baez said in his on-court interview. “Dominic played well today and I hope to see more of him because he is a great player, so I hope he can return to the level we know. I am happy I won today and to stay in the tournament.

“I think we both played well today, I enjoyed the fight. The tournament and the grounds are good, so I am happy to stay here.”

The victory means the 21-year-old Argentinian is into his third career tour-level semi-final, all of those coming on clay and all in 2022.

In May Baez went a couple steps further in one of those semi-finals as he won his maiden ATP tour title in Estoril, Portugal, defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final there.

Now ranked 34th in the world, Baez could break into the top 30 for the first time should he clinch the title in Bastad.

He faces second seed Andrey Rublev next for a place in the final against either countryman Francisco Cerundolo or Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Meanwhile, Thiem has seen himself back into the world’s top 300.

Currently ranked 339th in the world, the Austrian will be ranked 67 spots higher at 272nd come Monday.

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