In a world full of ‘dubious actions’, any and every act of selflessness should be appreciated, and Domnic Thiem’s recent display of sportsmanship needs to be appreciated through and through.
Facing Kevin Anderson in the round of 16, Domnic Thiem won fans over by conceding a point to Anderson in the second set, as the linesman made a wrong call.
Thiem lost the first set 6-3 to Anderson and was serving at 4-4, 30-0 when the incident happened. Anderson’s return landed bang on the line, but was called ‘out’ by the linesman.
Thiem then immediately asked Anderson to challenge as he saw the ball kiss the line, but Anderson refused to oblige. Thiem then went ahead and conceded the point to Anderson, in what was probably one of the best moments of this year’s tennis calendar.
Anderson then went onto beat Thiem in a gruelling second set tie-breaker, upsetting the top seed and moving into the quarter finals.
Thiem’s incredible gesture shows us how important it is to play the game in the right spirit. No matter what the score, what the match scenario; you always ought to do what’s right.
Thiem would be hoping that he can shrug off this loss and fine tune himself for the upcoming US Open, as a strong end to the year could provide a real boost to his rankings.
