Dominic Thiem said he will take he will use his upcoming break as a chance to reset after the world No 4 admitted he is going through a "tough period".
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships top seed crashed out in the second round – his first match after receiving a bye – to South African qualifier Lloyd Harris on Tuesday. As the 6-3, 6-4 scoreline suggests, it was a comfortable victory for world No 81 Harris as Thiem struggled to impose his authority on the match.
The defeat extended a struggling start to the season for the reigning US Open champion, who lost convincingly in the Australian Open fourth round and in the quarter-finals – his second match – at the Qatar Open. His current win-loss record for the year stands at 5-4.
Thiem has opted not to travel to the United States for next week's Miami Open, preferring instead to prepare for the clay court swing, culminating in May's French Open, and the Austrian will use the extended break to regroup.
"I just need to reset a bit to go fresh into the clay season," Thiem, 27, said. "Right now, I’m in a tough period so it wouldn’t be the right thing to go to Miami, so it’s better to regroup and hopefully have a good clay season. After these tough weeks that’s my main goal now."
Thiem has been troubled by a persistent foot injury, but he insisted that his fitness was not the reason for his loss in Dubai.
"There was no pain in the foot," said Thiem, who is twice a finalist at Roland Garros. "It’s a bit on and off and I’ll do an MRI just to see but it’s not the main issue. I’m just not playing well. It’s a tough period for me, so I need to start fresh and be ready for the first clay tournament, wherever I’m going to play."
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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