Thiem Saves 5 MPs, Reaches Kitzbühel Final

In vintage form, Dominic Thiem saved five match points Friday to oust fifth seed Laslo Djere 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(8) at the Generali Open and reach his first tour-level final since the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals.

The former World No. 3 thrilled the home crowd with fearless backhand winners and held his nerve on serve throughout the thrilling three-hour, 30-minute battle. Thiem was unbroken, fending off all 12 break points faced to survive his third consecutive match from a set down. The Austrian saved a trio of match points on serve at 5-6 in the third set and another two in the decisive tie-break.

"I don't know if I can still produce some good words," Thiem said in disbelief post match. "It was probably the longest best of three match I've ever played in my life, including when I was a kid. I think even then I didn't play that long for a best of three match.

"It was a very tough and intense match. So close every set, every single game. I knew it straight from the beginning that it would be so close, first three or four games were 20, 25 minutes. It was just an incredible atmosphere again."

Should Thiem win his 17th tour-level crown, it would mark his first trophy at any level since the 2020 US Open. He will next meet Sebastian Baez in the final, where he will look to avenge last year's Bastad loss to the Argentine.

Thiem lost nine of his first 10 matches in 2023, and came into this tournament No. 116 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He was 6-5 during the clay swing through Roland Garros but went winless during the grass swing, which included a valiant fifth-set tie-break loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of Wimbledon.

Suffering a tear in his right wrist that forced him to miss nine months from June 2021-March 2022, Thiem is looking for his second title in Kitzbühel (2019).

"It's very special today, my first final on the tour since my wrist injury. I couldn't be happier that it's here in Austria at home," Thiem said.

The 29-year-old is up to No. 89 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and could crack the Top 80 if he wins Saturday's championship match.