Dominic Thiem to play clay Challenger tournament during second week of Wimbledon

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Former world No. 3 Dominic Thiem maybe won't play Wimbledon but he won't be sidelined as he has taken a wildcard into the Salzburg Challenger. 

Thiem, 28, who made his long-awaited comeback from a wrist injury in late March, is 0-7 since returning. 

Thiem didn't expect his comeback to be easy but he also didn't expect to be without a win in his first seven matches played. 

Following a straight-set defeat to Hugo Dellien in the French Open first round, a devastated Thiem opened up and revealed he might return to the Challenger Tour. 

The Salzburg Challenger kicks off on July 3, during the second week of Wimbledon.

“I have to accept it and even though it was a really painful defeat now, week after week, it’s still nothing unexpected. If I had won many matches or whatever, would have been a big surprise. So it’s painful, I’m very disappointed, but it goes on," Thiem said after the French Open loss. “Yeah, I’m definitely thinking to go back to Challenger level now for maybe one or two tournaments. Of course a match win would help a lot, but if I’m honest to myself, I was, in all the matches I played, still pretty far away from a win.

Thiem hoping to find his game in Salzburg

Thiem's first goal in Salzburg will be to end his losing streak and then he will try to make a deep run. 

After Salzburg, Thiem plans to play clay ATP events in Gstaad, Bastad and Kitzbuhel. 

"Of course we are totally happy that Dominic is coming to us," Salzburg tournament director Günter Schwarzl said. "We will prepare him the best possible - as far as it is in our possibilities, and wish him that he also wins the tournament. Basically he trains like a berserker on clay. We hope that he gets as far as possible and keep our fingers crossed for him - not only for us as a tournament, but of course in general to stabilize his tennis game again."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/kmW4yCb

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