Having snapped a five-match losing streak in Estoril, Dominic Thiem is hoping this can kick-start what has so far been a tough season.
Thiem scored a three-set win over fellow Austrian Sebastian Ofner at the Portuguese clay-court event, setting up a second-round clash with AO 2023 quarterfinalist Ben Shelton.
It marked his first win in almost two months, and just his second in 11 matches so far this year.
The 2020 US Open champion told The AO Show podcast he hoped the win was a sign he was getting his season back on track.
"Yeah, was tough, not the best results,” he said of the first three months of 2023.
“But actually I've been on clay already three weeks (in) South America. So the break was not too long from the clay.
“And I had some good practice days now in Vienna, and hopefully I can get the season starting here in Portugal."
Thiem’s match on Thursday against Shelton will be his first meeting with the rapidly-rising American star, who until this week had never set foot on a European clay court.
Thiem is, by contrast, extremely comfortable on this surface. Twice he has reached the Roland Garros final (2018, 2019) and the Madrid Masters final (2017, 2018) and has won 10 career ATP clay-court titles.
Yet he is a long way removed from his career peak of world No.3, achieved the same year he broke through for his first major title.
Thiem has not won a tournament since – a drought approaching three years.
He admits his motivation levels dipped after that triumph in New York, and his career was further derailed by a wrist injury sustained in June 2021, which sidelined him for nine months.
That injury has affected his confidence hitting out on shots – particularly his forehand – since he resumed competing in March 2022.
He lost the first seven matches of his comeback and briefly slipped outside the world’s top 350. But he turned his season around, going 23-12 in the back half of 2022 and returning to the top 100 in October.
While his form and confidence continues to fluctuate, a win over Shelton would be another boost as Thiem seeks to re-establish himself at the top of the men’s game.