Thiem enters Aus Open final

In an enthralling semi-final featuring a rain interruption and a lighting failure, the fifth-seeded Austrian shrugged off a sluggish start and was braver on the big points at the Rod Laver Arena. He thrashed two blazing forehand winners to raise three match points in the decisive tie-break. Thiem sealed the contest with a cross-court volley and booked his third Grand Slam final spot after losing the last two French Open deciders to Spaniard Rafael Nadal. With the men’s Grand Slams dominated for years by Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, Thiem will bid to become the first man born in the 1990s to win a major title.

For two players seeking a maiden final in Melbourne, it was a nervous start with each dropping their opening service games before rain halted play briefly for the roof to close. After the resumption, Thiem was the first to blink with a double fault, opening the door for German Zverev, who crashed through to break the Austrian in the seventh game.

Still rattled, Thiem conceded the set with a flurry of unforced errors. Zverev had served woefully in his dreadful ATP Cup campaign but needed only two second serves in the entire first set. The demons returned briefly, however, as he opened the third game of the second set with consecutive double faults before dropping serve. But that was just the cue for a madcap phase of service breaks and sparkling rallies — and also a few bone-headed shots — from both players. Thiem finally held to 5-3 but the madness continued.

In an outrageous game of net-rushing, botched overhead smashes and thumping ground strokes, Thiem fought off two break points before blasting an ace to take the set and level the match. Play was halted for a second time due to lamps failing on the roof after Zverev held serve to lead 1-0 in the third set. Following a break of seven minutes, Thiem landed a crushing blow, luring Zverev into an ill-fated trip to the net before ripping a backhand past him to take his serve again.

He began throwing Zverev around the court with his power but the German hung in, claiming a spell-binding rally with a searing pass. Thiem dropped serve and Zverev lifted with some superb tennis. His line call challenges were appalling, however, and he used up his quota by the ninth game.

Fired up, he prised two set points from Thiem but the Austrian nervelessly saved both before racing away in the tie-break. A sizzling forehand down the line brought three set points and Thiem converted the first with a sumptuous one-handed backhand winner. There was no glorious dash to the finish line for Thiem, with the fourth set being another grinder. He was magnificent in the tie-break as he courageously attacked the lines before claiming it with a decisive rush to the net.