Dominic Thiem (right) and Alexander Zverev (left) hug each other after their thrilling semifinal encounter at the Australian Open on Friday. (Getty Images)
Austrian star Dominic Thiem sealed his place in the final of the Australian Open after coming back from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev.
The 26-year-old Thiem had a tougher ride to the semi-final having defeated Rafael Nadal on the way, but Zverev got the better of Stan Wawrinka in the previous game.
Thiem and Zverev are considered as part of the next generation of male tennis stars and the match at the Rod Laver Arena was proof of their talent.
However, the pair also have a great friendship between them, and Zverev posted a classy message on Instagram despite his loss.
The German wished Thiem the best of luck for the final and added that the Austrian was a “Class act”.
Zverev’s best finish in a Grand Slam was the semi-final in the 2020 Australian Open, and he has reached the quarter-final of the French Open twice.
He has also reached the fourth round of the US Open and Wimbledon on one occasion in his career.
Zverev has a bright future ahead of him but all eyes will be on Thiem as he goes up against one of the best in the world.
The Austrian defeated Nadal before getting the better of his friend, but things will be tougher on Sunday.
Thiem faces Novak Djokovic in the final after the Serbian defeated Roger Federer in the semi-final.
Djokovic has won a record seven Australian Open titles while Thiem hasn’t won a Grand Slam yet.
However, Thiem has gotten the better of Djokovic in recent meetings and has won four out of the last five matches.
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Thiem has also been in two French Open finals but Nadal got the better of him. It will be interesting to see how the pair clash on Sunday, but it should be an amazing game.
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