The Austrian was pushed hard, especially in the fourth set, but held on to seal a victory which was followed by a rendition of Happy Birthday by the Grandstand Court fans.
“It was a big pleasure to play on Grandstand on my birthday, against a very tough opponent,” Thiem said.
“I had a bad start so I tried to focus on the second set. Then (in the fourth set), I was twice up a break and he played amazing games to break back so I am very happy to win.”
The victory equals Thiem’s previous best performance in New York and he now plays former champion Juan Martin del Potro for a place in the quarter-finals.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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