Inspired American teenager Learner Tien outlasted three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev to reach the third round with a score of 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(7). ) victory in a late-night epic Thursday.
Qualifier Tien’s hopes appeared to be fading after fifth-seeded 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 deciding match at Margaret Court Arena.
However, the 19-year-old southpaw tapped into his last reserves of energy and produced some dazzling tennis to create the biggest shock yet in Melbourne and become the youngest American to reach the third round of the Open d Australia since Pete Sampras. did so at the age of 18 in 1990.
“I mean, I was really hoping it wasn’t going to end in a fifth set,” Tien, who was born in California to Vietnamese parents, told the crowd that stayed for the climax of the four-man contest. hours and 49 minutes which ended at around 3 a.m. “Anyway, I was really happy to have won. I know I made it much harder than it could have been. But you know, it doesn’t matter. »
Tien had lost in the first 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.
He won five successive games to take the first set 3-1 and displayed incredible tactical awareness and clinical precision in keeping a rather passive Medvedev at full tilt during a second set littered with break breaks. service.
Tien failed to close the set by serving at 6-5, but snatched the tiebreak with an icy forehand winner.
-It looked like a pivotal moment as Medvedev took the third set and accelerated into the fourth, with Tien ultimately appearing to be in physical pain.
Medvedev appeared to be the clear favorite going into the final, but world number 121 Tien bravely faced the Russian in a series of grueling exchanges that became increasingly intense.
After a brief rain delay at 5-5, former US Open champion Medvedev served for the match at 6-5 but Tien refused to leave and pulled back to send the match into a break of the first at 10.
Once again it looked like Medvedev would survive to fight another day as he led 6-4, but the intrepid Tien won six of the final seven points, securing a memorable victory on his first match point as a tired Medvedev made a long comeback.
On the women’s side, Jasmine Paolini, last year’s Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist, beat Mexican Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round, where the fourth-seeded Italian will face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, 28th seed.
Elena Rybakina dispatched another Australian Open teenager after the sixth seed overcame a second set wobble to beat American wildcard Iva Jovic 6-0, 6-3.
