Return Winners: the 2016 Stuttgart final

Dominic Thiem and Philipp Kohlschreiber faced each other for the second time in several weeks in a Germany-based final when they battled in Stuttgart.

By the time the 2016 season opened, Dominic Thiem had established himself among the game’s best players on clay. The young Austrian was out to make strides on other surfaces, and after his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open, he entered the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany.

A season full of significant achievements saw another when he defeated none other than Roger Federer in the semifinals to reach his first career final on the turf. In the championship match, he would face Philipp Kohlschreiber—always a tough out when playing in his home country. That’s a fact Thiem recently learned, having lost to his foe in the final in Munich in clay a few weeks prior in a third-set tiebreak.

Playing in his third career grass-court final, Kohlschreiber—who also reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2012—had more experience and success on the surface than his younger opponent, but Thiem held his own with him as the opening set went to a tiebreak. With the German leading 3-2, the rain came and washed out play for the rest of the day.

When it resumed on Monday, Kohlschreiber took the first four points played to clinch the first set. In the second, Thiem broke right away and rode out his advantage to level things at a set apiece, taking it by a 6-4 scoreline.

The third set saw Thiem keep up the pressure right away as he almost posted another break in the opening game. Kohlschreiber fought him off then, but couldn’t in his next service game as Thiem went up 3-1. From there, the Austrian once again rode out the sole break and eventually won the decider 6-4 for his fourth title of the season.

3

Thiem’s Stuttgart title of the year came on a third different playing surface: He won on clay in Argentina and Nice, and on hard courts in Mexico—his first victory on that surface.

7

Thiem won his seventh singles title to match Kohlschreiber’s career total.

10

This was Kohlschreiber’s 10th singles final in Germany out of 15 career championship matches.

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