Thiem 1st Since 1949 To Win US Open After Ceding 1st 2 Sets

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns a shot to Dominic Thiem, of Austria, during the men's singles final of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Dominic Thiem became the first man in 71 years to win the U.S. Open after dropping the first two sets of the final.

Associated Press
Last Updated: September 14, 2020, 6:09 AM IST
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NEW YORK: Dominic Thiem became the first man in 71 years to win the U.S. Open after dropping the first two sets of the final.

Thiem earned his first Grand Slam title Sunday with a 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) comeback victory against Alexander Zverev. The U.S. Open never had been decided by a fifth-set tiebreaker.

Pancho Gonzalez made the same sort of turnaround against Ted Schroeder in 1949 to win the event then known as the U.S. Championships.

Thiem is a 27-year-old from Austria who entered Sunday with an 0-3 career record in major title matches.

This was Zverevs debut in a Grand Slam final.

The match capped a two-tournament controlled evironment for tennis in New York amid the coronavirus pandemic, with regular testing for COVID-19 and zero fans allowed.

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First Published: September 14, 2020, 6:00 AM IST