Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Inspired American teenager Learner Tien outlasted three-times Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev to reach the third round with a 6-3 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 1-6 7-6(7) victory in a late-night epic on Thursday.
Qualifier Tien’s hopes seemed to be fading after fifth seed Medvedev saved a match point with an ace in the third set tiebreak as the Russian stormed back from two sets down to set up a decider on Margaret Court Arena.
But the 19-year-old lefthander tapped into his last reserves of energy and came up with some dazzling tennis to deliver the biggest shock so far in Melbourne and become youngest American man to reach the third round at the Australian Open since Pete Sampras did so aged 18 in 1990.
“I mean, I was definitely hoping it wasn’t going to go to a fifth set breaker, Tien, who was born in California to Vietnamese parents, told the crowd who stayed for the climax of the four hour 49 minute contest that ended at nearly 3am.
“Either way, I was just really happy to get a win. I know I made a lot harder than maybe it could have been. But you know, whatever.”
Tien had lost in the opening round in his first three Grand Slam appearances but marked his Australian Open debut by beating Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets to line up a clash with Medvedev.
Named after his teacher mother’s profession, Tien had all the answers against one of the most wily players in the sport as he schooled Medvedev for most of the opening three sets.
He reeled off five successive games to take the opening set from 3-1 down and showed incredible tactical awareness and clinical precision as he kept a rather passive Medvedev at full stretch during a second set littered with service breaks.
