Thiem makes Djokovic the former king at Roland Garros

The Austrian tennis player won 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals on the afternoon of June 7, as a way to pay back the debt of losing to Novak Djokovic at the Rome Masters last month.

Thiem defeated Djokovic for the first time in six encounters. Photo: Reuters.

The result means last year's singles champions Novak Djokovic and Garbine Muguruza are both out. It was Djokovic's first loss to Dominic Thiem in six meetings, extending the world number two's title drought.

This year, Djokovic has won only one ATP 250 title in Doha, a performance that contrasts with his performance in the early stages of last season when he won two Grand Slam titles and three of the five Masters 1000 tournaments.

For Thiem, this is the second time he has reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros. Last year, the 23-year-old was quickly eliminated by Djokovic in three sets in the semi-finals. Thiem's ​​next opponent is Rafael Nadal. The nine-time champion in Paris easily advanced when Pablo Carreno withdrew due to injury.

Djokovic saved three breaks in the third game of the first set but could not prevent Thiem from breaking his serve. But the Serb returned the break in the next game. Djokovic won Thiem's ​​next service game to lead 4-2. However, on a day when dark clouds covered the Roland Garros courts and the wind blew strongly, the match continued to take unexpected turns.

Thiem was in good spirits after defeating Djokovic in the first set tie-break. Photo: Reuters.

Two double faults from Djokovic gave Thiem a break chance in game eight, and the Austrian did not miss. The set had to be decided by a tiebreak. It is worth noting that in the five previous encounters, Thiem had only won one set against Djokovic, but that was a 12-10 tiebreak victory at the ATP Finals in November 2016. This time, the Austrian's youth continued to give him the edge over his opponent.

The tie-break was dramatic, but two backhand errors in a row from Djokovic gave Thiem a 6-4 lead. Thiem missed the first set point, but on the second, a backhand that went over the net from Djokovic gave his opponent the win. In total, Djokovic made 17 unforced errors in the first set, a very disappointing number for a player known for waiting for his opponent to make a mistake.

But what was more disappointing for Djokovic and his fans was the easy defeat of the Serbian in the next two sets. Thiem won the first three games of the second set and was in a very good mood while Djokovic stood on the court with his soul flying out. After Thiem led 3-0 in the second set, legend John McEnroe commented that the Austrian had a sure win over the tennis player with the mental advantage he had.

Djokovic continues to show psychological instability, which has plagued him for more than half a year. Photo: Reuters.

Thiem then led 4-1, 5-2 and finished the second set 6-3. In the deciding set, Djokovic didn't even win a game. Thiem broke three times as Djokovic repeatedly hit the ball over the net. When the match ended, instead of applause or murmurs in the stands, there was silence. The spectators probably couldn't believe what had just happened before their eyes. Djokovic, a warrior who never knew how to surrender, had just "thrown" a set in the semifinals of a Grand Slam.

Defeating a 12-time Grand Slam champion, an opponent he had never beaten before, Thiem confidently entered the second Grand Slam semi-final of his career, facing Roland Garros legend Rafael Nadal. With what the Austrian has shown on clay, Nadal will not have an easy match.

According to VNE