"I would like nothing more than for Dominic Thiem to be a top-10 player again" - Tennis fans react to Austrian's epic opening-round victory in front of home fans at Vienna Open

Dominic Thiem enthralled the home fans by playing one of his best matches of the season thus far as he edged past Tommy Paul of the USA at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Tuesday.

Thiem survived two match points en route to a thrilling 2-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6) victory which got the crowd to their feet. Fans on social media, meanwhile, celebrated the win by predicting a top-10 comeback for the Austrian.

"If I have one wish for the ATP, I would like nothing more than for Dominic Thiem to be a Top 10 Player again," a fan tweeted.

One ardent fan went so far as to assert that the Austrian was a candidate for a top-3 slot.

"Top-3 slot, he was blocked by the triumvirate for too long!" they wrote.

Dominic Thiem, who suffered seven first-round losses before winning his first match this season in Salzburg in July, is attempting to regain his form after being hampered by injury and illness.

Fans showed their love for the former World No. 3 after his comeback win over Paul on Tuesday.

On the floor celebrating like a slam. I love him so much," an extatic fan exclaimed.

"One of my favourite players. Unfortunate injury messed up his career. Happy to see him winning finally," another chimed in.

Here are some more reactions to Thiem's epic win on Tuesday:

"There is no place like home" - Dominic Thiem

Thiem is making a comeback after missing most of the 2021 season

Dominic Thiem lauded his home fans for their support after advancing to the second round of the Vienna Open.

"There is no place like home! Thank you for being so supportive today! You guys are amazing!" he wrote on social media.

Thiem had earlier reached the quarterfinals of the Austrian Open Kitzbuhel back in July before going down to Yannick Hanfmann.

Thiem ended 2016 as the World No. 8 and also qualified for the year-end ATP Finals. The player from Lichtenworth breached the ATP top-5 the following year before becoming World No. 3 in 2020.

The 2020 US Open champion, who was struck down by injury last year, missed the second half of the 2021 season before making a comeback at the Marbella Challenger in March.