Dominic Thiem vs Stefanos Tsitsipas - China Open Finals - Preview and Prediction

The two leaders of the Next-Gen, World number 5, Dominic Thiem and World number 7, Stefanos Tsitsipas are all set for a big showdown as Beijing hosts a blissful blockbuster today evening.

Thiem has made a great comeback after a painful loss to World number 163, Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in the Davis Cup. He played the Laver Cup and had fun with the legends, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal as Team Europe won a hat-trick of titles.

Those good vibes in a fun atmosphere, seem to have paid off for the Austrian as he has been in great touch in the China Open.

The top seed kick-started his campaign demolishing the veteran Frenchman, Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-1. Thiem's one-handed backhand was firing on cylinders as he trounced home hope, Zhang Zhizhen in straight sets.

The match of the tournament was there as Thiem met comeback man, World number 503 Andy Murray in the quarter-finals. The former number 1, Murray was in fantastic form reviving the golden memories as he defeated Matteo Berrettini and Cameron Norrie.

Thiem, however, was in no mood for any complacency as he took the first set 6-2. Murray fought hard from there on as the second set went to a tie-breaker. A slight drop in intensity was seen from the Brit as he lost it 7-6(3) to hand over the match to Thiem.

In a see-saw battle in the semifinals, the Austrian showed why he is one of the best hard-court players. The Russian Karen Khachanov was on the rampage as he took the first set 6-2. But,Thiem showed why his one-handed backhand is one of the best in the business. In the next two sets, he dug deep to win 7-6 7-5 and storm into the finals.

On the other hand, Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a perfect debut in the China Open. He made terrific comeback wins after trailing by a set against Dusan Lajovic, and Nikoloz Basilashvili in the round of 32 and 16 respectively.

The Greek conquered the big-serving John Isner in the quarter-finals as he romped into the semis winning 7-6 6-3. In a bitter-sweet rivalry, Tsitsipas came on top against World number 6, Alexander Zverev winning 7-6 6-4 in a nailbiting match.

Key Insights

• This is Tsitsipas's first final since May 2019 where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Open finale
• Thiem leads the head to head record with three wins and two losses against Tsitsipas
• Thiem and Tsitsipas are meeting for the first time in 2019 after clashing five times in 2018
• Both Thiem and Tsitsipas have beaten the big 3- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic
• Tsitsipas is playing his fifth final of 2019, while Thiem is playing his fourth final of 2019

It will be a battle between Thiem's attacking game and Tsitsipas's defensive game. The first set will play an important factor in deciding momentum.

Tennis fans would love to see the young brigade giving it their all in a classy clash.

Prediction - Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets

Cover Image Credits - Getty Images