WATCH | Dominic Thiem swaps racquet for pair of boots in off season

01/04/2018

The thought of a perfectly weighted pass brings to mind names like Mesut Ozil, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and more, but Austria's Dominic Thiem doesn't seem to be far off either. The tennis ace was seen showcasing his impeccable passing in the off-season where he played for Slovenian club 1.TFC.

After finishing 2017 in a forgettable manner, Dominic Thiem has started 2018 on a positive note. The World No.5 was seen taming Evgeny Donskoy in the Qatar Exxonmobil Open comfortably, which was his first triumph of the campaign, and the 24-year-old has since been enjoying a streak of good performances, on and off the pitch.

Not only did he look flawless with the racquet in his hand when he beat Slovenian Aijaz Bedene to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament but has shown some silky moves with the ball at his feet as well. While on his break from tennis, the man from Lichtenworth was seen spending time playing his second favourite sport- football.

Representing local club, 1.TFC, in a friendly match in Slovenia Thiem provided a sublime lofted assist to teammate Denis Novak who equalized the score 1-1. After going a goal down through an early penalty, Thiem’s team went on to complete the comeback and emerge as winners after beating their opponents 2-1. However, it was his composed body language and control on the game, which is not tennis, is what has kept the viewers drooling.

“It was amazing to spend time with friends and take time off to play another beautiful sport,” said Thiem in a post-match interview.