DOMINIC THIEM COMES BACK WITH A BANG

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Austria’s tennis standout Dominic Thiem resumed his 2020 season with a first-round win at the Rio Open in Brazil on Tuesday.

On the same day in Florida, Jack Sock, a Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion, finally ended his long wait for another victory.

Thiem, 26 and last in action during his Australian Open final loss to Novak Djokovic, charged back in a winning mood. The 26-year-old World No 4 won 6-2 4-6 6-1 against dangerous wildcard Felipe Meligeni Alves.

The 2017 champion of this ATP 500 event, Theim has won his 16 ATP titles on all three surfaces. Here he found himself back on clay and flourished. The top seed – and, at -120, the No 1 favorite of the New Jersey sportsbooks – easily won the first round.

Then inexplicably he stumbled in the second before grabbing two breaks of serve in the deciding set and cruising home.

Coric shrugs away four losses, beats Londero

Having started 2020 with four losses in five matches, Borna Coric, the Rio Open’s third favorite at +700, overcame Juan Ignacio Londero 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in a hard-fought three setter. Dusan Lajovic joined Thiem and Coric as first-round winning seeds, but two seeds fell out in the opening round.

One was Casper Ruud, coming off a title win at the Argentina Open. He was defeated by qualifier Gianluca Mager 7-6 (7-4) 7-5. The other was Guido Pella, the 2016 runner-up here. He was edged out 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in just over three hours by Thiago Monteiro.

Meanwhile at the Delray Beach Open in Florida, Sock, the 2017 champion, claimed his first non-Laver Cup singles win since late 2018.

The American, a wildcard this time, battled past last year’s winner Radu Albot 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2). After saving a match point in the final set and winning he broke down in tears.

In the same event, second seed Milos Raonic of Canada brushed past lucky loser Denis Istomin 6-2 6-2 and Reilly Opelka served 20 stunning aces in his 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory over Ernests Gulbis.

Frenchman Ugo Humbert, the sixth seed, fought his way into round two but third seed Taylor Fritz fell to qualifier Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4.

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