Thiem earns birthday present with four-set win

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eighth seed Dominic Thiem was serenaded by the crowd as he celebrated his 23rd birthday with a gruelling 1-6 6-4 6-4 7-5 victory over Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the third round at the U.S. Open on Saturday. 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)