"It's a pity that there can be no two winners": how Tim beat Zverev in the final of the men's US Open

Austrian Dominik Thiem defeated German Alexander Zverev in the US Open final.

The match between them ended with a score of 2: 6, 4: 6, 6: 4, 6: 3, 7: 6 (8: 6).

Tim became the first player since 2014 to win his first Grand Slam tournament - all this time, the main tennis titles went to those who had already won them before.

The Austrian also made history as the 150th player in singles history to win at least one Major in his career.

For both finalists, winning the US Open promised their debut TBS trophy.

For Zverev, this was the first chance to declare himself loudly, while for Tim - already the fourth.

Previously, he challenged Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at those majors where they most often became champions, and naturally suffered defeats.

But the Big Three is gradually being replaced by a new generation of tennis players, who, however, never managed to meet the veterans on New York courts this year.

The experience of the final matches was not the only argument that made Tim the favorite of the fight.

He also led with a very impressive 7: 2 score in personal meetings with Zverev, winning the last three head-to-head fights, including the semifinals of the last Australian Open (3: 6, 6: 4, 7: 6, 7: 6).

And at this US Open, Tim played so that he met almost no resistance, and gave only one set to Marina Cilic.

In six matches in the tournament, the Austrian managed to win 32 games at the reception and was the leader of the tournament by this indicator.

Finally, Tim spent almost four hours less on the court than Zverev, who overcame the tournament bracket with much greater effort.

But all these pre-match statistics lost their meaning, as soon as the tennis players entered the Arthur Ash court.

Zverev avoided the failure that had become habitual for him in the starting set and made a break in the third game, although in this he was mainly helped by Tim by his mistakes.

The Austrian lost the advantage in his serve, and the long rallies were now mostly left to the German tennis player.

Taking the lead, Zverev added in aggression and until the end of the first set gave only two points on his serve, and also made another break, taking advantage of Tim's two double mistakes.

The 23-year-old tennis player won the game with a score of 6: 2, having made 16 actively won rallies with six unforced errors.

Tim's balance of these indicators turned out to be negative.

The second set resembled the first for a long time.

Tim could barely cope with Zverev's attacks and sometimes looked lost on the court.

He barely took the first game on his serve and lost the next two, while having no chance of receiving.

But with the score 5: 1 in favor of Zverev, Tim finally gave the fight to the German.

He played three set points, made a break and took his serve under zero.

The Austrian even managed to win eight points in a row.

However, in the tenth game, Zverev drove Tim even deeper into the back line and realized the first set point earned.

In terms of actively won rallies, he was still twice ahead of the Austrian - 24 versus 12. The number of mistakes Tim made was off scale and was extremely atypical for him.

The third set started out exactly like the first two.

After a short exchange of winning serves, Zverev again made a break in the third game.

He took someone else's serve for the fifth time, despite the fact that in previous matches Tim, at best, twice allowed opponents to break.

But the German failed to build on the success.

His serve mistakes and disruptions in the game gave Tim several break points, one of which he converted.

The Austrian also doubled his first goal hit percentage compared to the starting set.

Gradually, the initiative began to pass to him, and in the tenth game Zverev flinched on his serve - 4: 6.

One set played really transformed Tim.

He played again with the same power and stability as before throughout the tournament.

In the fourth game, he lost only two points on his serve and managed to make a break in the end.

Tim had only two unforced errors per set, and with such a game it was difficult for Zverev to resist.

At the beginning of the fifth set, the tennis players exchanged breaks, and in the eighth game, the German took the opponent's serve, when Tim's fatigue turned into cramps in his right leg, and went out to serve for the match.

But the Austrian managed in a dire condition not only to equalize, but also to take three games in a row.

Before applying for the title, Tim suddenly called a doctor to the court to examine his thigh, as he was getting worse and he was already limping around the court.

The winner was to be determined in a tie-break - the first in a decisive set in the history of the US Open.

In the course of this game, Zverev managed to play two match points, but another mistake during the execution of the cross cost him a defeat.

Tim became only the fifth tennis player in Grand Slam history to win the title after losing the first two sets.

The last time it happened at Roland Garros in 2004, when the Argentinean Gaston Gaudio defeated his compatriot Guillermo Coria, losing in the course of the match 0: 6, 3: 6.

After the match, the Austrian complained that it was impossible to award the title to the opponent he had beaten.

“We met in 2014.

It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship, and then a wonderful rivalry.

We have achieved a lot on and off the court.

It's amazing how we went to share this moment.

It is a pity that there cannot be two winners today.

We both deserve it, ”Tim said.

Zverev wished the US Open triumphant not to stop on his way, but to himself - to win the next time.

“I would like to congratulate Dominic on the first of many Grand Slam titles.

If you made a little more mistakes, I would now have this cup in my hands, but what can I do - today I am speaking on behalf of the loser, ”Zverev noted.

“I want to thank my team for their support.

The last two years have been difficult for my career, but now we are moving forward again, and I hope that one day we will raise this trophy together, ”added the German tennis player at the awards ceremony.

Zverev will have a chance to compete for the title of winner of the Grand Slam tournament very soon.

At the end of September, the Roland Garros kicks off, where he will have the sixth seed.

Tim will receive the status of the third racket of the tournament.