<p class="title">Dominic Thiem reached the last two French Open semifinals but never quite looked like a Grand Slam champion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This year is different.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 24-year-old Austrian reached that stage again on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 demolition of injured second seed Alexander Zverev and declared himself to be a far superior player to the one who fell in his last two semis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Novak Djokovic trounced him in straight sets in 2016 and Rafael Nadal again knocked him out in straight sets last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With unseeded Italian Marco Cecchinato his opponent on Friday after beating Djokovic, Thiem will be the overwhelming favourite to become the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1995 to contest a Grand Slam final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm a better player in general, for sure," Thiem, the only player to beat possible final opponent Nadal on clay this year, told reporters. "I've improved and developed my game.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think this year I'm physically and mentally fresher than I have been the last two years. I know how to handle a Grand Slam now."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thiem was superb against Kei Nishikori in the fourth round and continued that form against Zverev, bullying the second seed with the weight and accuracy of his groundstrokes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His serve, too, is a potent weapon these days. He won 79 percent of points on his first serve and 68 percent on his second delivery.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But it is the clinical nature of his matches in Paris that has stood out. Thiem now carries himself like a man not to be meddled with.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I always knew how to play on clay, but I think that now I'm just making less stupid mistakes," Thiem, who has won more matches on clay this year than 10-times French Open champion Nadal, told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Maybe I'm even a little bit more aggressive, and that's a good combination."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He will be wary of Cecchinato, though, after the Italian world number 72 produced a sensational display to down Djokovic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Cecchinato is full of confidence, probably the most confident player out there right now," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He never won a match at a Slam, and now he's in the semifinals. So everything is going easy for him. He can play completely free."</p>
<p class="title">Dominic Thiem reached the last two French Open semifinals but never quite looked like a Grand Slam champion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This year is different.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 24-year-old Austrian reached that stage again on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 demolition of injured second seed Alexander Zverev and declared himself to be a far superior player to the one who fell in his last two semis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Novak Djokovic trounced him in straight sets in 2016 and Rafael Nadal again knocked him out in straight sets last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">With unseeded Italian Marco Cecchinato his opponent on Friday after beating Djokovic, Thiem will be the overwhelming favourite to become the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1995 to contest a Grand Slam final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm a better player in general, for sure," Thiem, the only player to beat possible final opponent Nadal on clay this year, told reporters. "I've improved and developed my game.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think this year I'm physically and mentally fresher than I have been the last two years. I know how to handle a Grand Slam now."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thiem was superb against Kei Nishikori in the fourth round and continued that form against Zverev, bullying the second seed with the weight and accuracy of his groundstrokes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His serve, too, is a potent weapon these days. He won 79 percent of points on his first serve and 68 percent on his second delivery.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But it is the clinical nature of his matches in Paris that has stood out. Thiem now carries himself like a man not to be meddled with.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I always knew how to play on clay, but I think that now I'm just making less stupid mistakes," Thiem, who has won more matches on clay this year than 10-times French Open champion Nadal, told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Maybe I'm even a little bit more aggressive, and that's a good combination."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He will be wary of Cecchinato, though, after the Italian world number 72 produced a sensational display to down Djokovic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Cecchinato is full of confidence, probably the most confident player out there right now," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He never won a match at a Slam, and now he's in the semifinals. So everything is going easy for him. He can play completely free."</p>