It’s a trend that seems to be becoming a normal occurrence in the tennis universe lately. Another unknown has arisen from obscurity to knock out a superstar.
This time most astonishingly it was 19 year old Learner Tien of Irvine, CA who slayed former world no. 1 Daniil Medvedev in five sets in the second round of Australian Open.
Before the tournament, nobody was talking about the former top junior even though he reached the NEXT GEN finals losing to Joao Fonseca in round robin play and the finals, each in four sets.
It has been Fonseca getting all the media attention lately but it’s Tien who is actually producing the incredible results. Fonseca lost to Sonego yesterday after bouncing Rublev in the first round.
Tien doesn’t look sensational or spectacular in any way. He’s a smooth, technically proficient lefty, with a high IQ, consistent strokes, stoic maturity and an uncanny ability to control the ball and put it where it needs to be at whatever speed or pace is necessary. What he does best is win tennis matches, he achieved a 28 match win streak last spring summer and elevated his ranking from 473 at the start of 2024 to 121 right now.
Tien does not engage in any theatrics or showboating, but he plays like a terminator machine, perfectly efficient and devastatingly effective.
Medvedev threw the kitchen and bathroom sinks at Tien and the washer and dryer too but in the end it was the cunning kid who was brilliantly triumphant. Match point was a return just long by the crafty Russian. Tien had a match point in the third set also.
The final score was 6-3 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 1-6 7-6(10-7) for the qualifier over the three-time AO finalist. The match spanned four hours, 49 minutes, finally concluding at 2:55 a.m. Tien was ice under pressure, winning the final four points in the deciding-set tiebreaker.
“I was definitely hoping it wouldn’t go to a fifth-set breaker, but I’m just happy to get a win,” said Tien. “I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been… Losing the third was tough after playing for that long and having a match point. I didn’t even get to touch the ball I don’t think, it was an ace. So it was a little disappointing to see a fourth [set] after fighting back from a break down in the third.”
Tien will next meet Corentin Moutet, another crafty lefty in the third round.
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Steve · January 17, 2025 at 12:24 pm
One of the great matches to watch. Meddy always seems to be in these types of matches.
Scoop Malinowski · January 17, 2025 at 6:52 pm
Medvedev isn’t Medvedev anymore, not to diminish Tiens upset. I think Tien will beat Moutet and to do that right after a career best win will be very impressive.
Steve · January 18, 2025 at 4:01 pm
Well, Meddy had another child so maybe his off-season prep wasn’t as thorough as he’d like but, yeah, his style of chasing every ball in never-ending rallies has taken its toll.
Tien’s friend, Michelson has a sick backhand. I have, of course, seen him in the hall of fame tourney battling Mannarino but that BH is on full disply now for everyone to see.
Scoop Malinowski · January 18, 2025 at 5:36 pm
Michelsen has everything needed to be a star. Just a matter of time. Medvedev has lost something, I think it’s a combination of being Russian, being persecuted by the establishment and just being content being in the top ten range is enough for him. He doesn’t have that obsession and fire to be the king so the drive isn’t there to get back on top again. He never will.