(Santiago Du Chile) Dominic Thiem has continued to struggle on the clay tennis courts of South America over the past few days as he tries to regain form after sustaining injuries to his right wrist and at the abdomen.
Former world number three and 2020 U.S. Open champion, the 29-year-old Austrian lost in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (2), to Christian Garin in the first round of the Chile Open, Tuesday.
For Thiem, it was a third consecutive tournament on clay.
Thiem slipped to 99e rank in the ATP rankings after winning just one singles match on the men’s tour this year. That victory came against Alex Molcan at the Argentina Open earlier in February.
Since then, he has lost all three matches he has appeared in, in Buenos Aires, at the Rio Open and against Garin, the local favorite at the Chile Open.
In other games, Thiago Monteiro and Marco Cecchinato have reached the next round and will meet.