World No. 4 Dominic Thiem returns to action for the first time since his run to the Australian Open final (l. to Djokovic) at the Rio Open presented by Claro. In 2017, Thiem did not drop a set en route to the title at this ATP 500 clay-court tournament (d. Carreno Busta). Last year, he fell to eventual champion Laslo Djere in the first round.
Djere completed his dream week in Rio with victory over 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final. The Serbian, who soared 53 spots to No. 37 in the FedEx ATP Rankings with his triumph, dedicated the title to his late parents. “I don’t know many tennis players who went through these things. I want to be that guy who inspires others and shows that you can still be successful,” Djere said.
“I lost my mom seven years ago and I want to dedicate this one to her. And also to my dad, I lost him two months ago.”
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