Again, a head shake. On the sixth point, a forehand return sailed well long. That initial set ended with Thiem putting a forehand into the net, followed by a backhand into the net.

Thiem’s next opportunity came at 7-6; he double-faulted. “I was, like, so tight in my whole body,” Thiem said. The third was at 9-8, when he pushed a down-the-line forehand wide.

Thiem’s next opportunity to win came at 7-6, but he double-faulted. “I was, like, so tight in my whole body,” Thiem said. The third was at 9-8, when he pushed a down-the-line forehand wide.

Thiem, regarded as one of the most popular players on the tour, was blessed with a picture-book backhand, but also a devastating forehand, which he says often did more damage. He was extremely ...

Dominic Thiem plays a forehand return to Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka during their men’s singles match on day one of the Paris ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Octomber. AFP via Getty Images ...

Bublik swung at a rushed forehand and sent it well long, giving Thiem the lead and a chance to close the set. From there, it wasn’t much of a match. Bublik’s game fell apart quickly.

Again, a head shake. On the sixth point, a forehand return sailed well long. That initial set ended with Thiem putting a forehand into the net, followed by a backhand into the net.

PARIS — It all used to come so easily for Dominic Thiem on a tennis court — his powerful forehand, his elegant backhand, his hit-which-shot-when calculations, all fine-tuned to the point of a ...

PARIS – It all used to come so easily for Dominic Thiem on a tennis court — his powerful forehand, his elegant backhand, his hit-which-shot-when calculations, all fine-tuned to the point of a ...