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By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, January 16, 2025

 
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Qualifier Learner Tien shocked fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(10-7) to battle into his maiden major third round at the AO.

Photo credit: Andy Cheung/Getty

A ferocious four-hour drama spiked into the first match tiebreaker of this Australian Open.

Qualifier Learner Tien saw the light and created electrifying end to an epic.

More: Collins Clashes with Rowdy AO Fans

The 19-year-old Tien buzzed a forehand winner for a second match point shocking fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(10-7) to battle into his maiden major third round in just his fourth Grand Slam appearance.

The lone qualifier still standing in this AO made a heroic stand outlasting the former No. 1 in a four hour, 49-minute epic that ended at 2:54 a.m. Melbourne time—the sixth latest ending to a major match in history.

Moments after completing the most massive upset of this Melbourne fortnight, world No. 121 Tien looked like the calmest guy in the building.



Playing with remarkable poise for a teenager, Tien won the final four points to snatch a tense tiebreaker. Tien was willing to pull the trigger on his forehand more than Medvedev on pivotal points and shared his sense of urgency was really fueled by primal force: He desperately needed to pee.

“I was definitely hoping it wasn’t going to a fifth set breaker, but either way just really happy to get a win,” Tien said. “I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been, but you know whatever.”

Credit Medvedev for hammering an ace to save match point at 6-7 in the third-set tiebreaker. Tien showed tremendous competitive character—and courage cranking some big forehands in the thrilling fifth-set tiebreaker to seal his biggest career win.

“Losing the third was tough after fighting for that long,” Tien said. “I had a match point. I didn’t get to touch the ball.

“Honestly in the fourth set I just had to pee so bad so I was just trying to finish it up fairly quick but I also wanted to start the fifth serving so I scrapped out that game at 0-5 and it all worked out.”

At 19 years 55 days, Tien is the second-youngest American man in the Open Era to reach the third round at the Australian Open—after Pete Sampras, who reached the third round for the first time aged 18 years 169 days in 1990.

It’s a historic upset: the Irvine, California-born baseliner comes through as a qualifier to defeat a Top-5 seed at a Grand Slam.

Tien and 20-year old Alex Michelsen, who upset former finalist Stefano Tsitsipas in the opening round, have made history at the Australian Open, becoming the first pair of American men age 20 or younger to reach the third round at a Grand Slam event since the 2003 US Open. In that case it was 20-year-old buddies Andy Roddick and Robby Ginepri, now a coach and at the Australian Open since 1990 (Sampras, 18; David Wheaton, 20).

Californians Tien and Michelsen, a Laguna Hills native., are longtime friends and have trained together since 2021

.A 2023 Australian Open and US Open boys’ finalist, Tien showed no trace of nerves against the formidable 2024 AO finalist.



Tien flipped a forehand winner down the line for a 4-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker.

A frustrated Medvedev, who was hit with a foot fault call on the prior point, vented to chair umpire John Blom then came back to draw an error for 3-4.

When Medvedev missed a forehand down the line, Tien was two points from a two-set lead at 5-4.

Tien hung tough in a 20-shot baseline rally when Medvedev netted a forehand for double-set point.

Medvedev was grunting more forcefully when Tien zipped a forehand pass down the line then hurled an uppercut snatching a two-set lead.




Though the Russian drew first-break blood in the third set, Tien was undaunted.

After the left-handed American broke back to level at 4-all, Medvedev was hit with a point penalty and did not argue it.

Two hours, 36-minutes into the match, Tien torched a topspin forehand winner down the line then bolted a backhand down the opposite sideline holding at love for 5-4.

Medvedev sped through a serve hold to force the third-set tiebreaker after two hours, 46 minutes.

The court-side clock crept toward 1 a.m. as Tien capped an intense 25-shot rally roping his two-handed backhand right off the baseline. That superb strike left a wide-eyed Medvedev staring at the spot where the ball landed.

A pumped-up Tien drew an error to earn the mini break and a 4-2 lead.

A Tienbackhand down the line set up his forehand down the line but he over-hit it by a few inches and Medvedev was back on serve at 4-all in the breaker.

Medvedev made a fantastic forehand stretch volley, but Tien passed him easily for 5-all. Medvedev laced an ace off the service line for set point at 6-5.

The teenager stepped up during a crackling point, moving inside the baseline to spin a clean forehand winner—the same shot he missed earlier in the breaker—to save set point.

A Tien forehand appeared to be floating long, but was slathered with topspin and dropped in. Medvedev, who seemed put off by the ball’s flight, hit a backhand that tripped on the tape and plopped back on his side for a match point at 6-7.

Medvedev slammed an ace to save match point before Tien saved a second set point, plastering a forehand down the line for 8-all.

Rapping a running forehand strike down the line, Medvedev earn a third set point at 9-8. When Tien’s forehand crashed into the tape, Medvedev took a dramatic tiebreaker forcing a fourth set at the three-hour mark. Though it was 1:07 a.m. Melbourne time, fans were buzzing by the prospect of a fourth set.

Getting right back to work, Medvedev won eight of the first nine points scoring a love break for a 2-0 fourth-set lead.

As Tien’s legs began to tire, Medvedev, who was slurping down energy gel on changeovers, regained his serve rhythm and revved up his first serve pace. Medvedev slammed his 15th ace holding for 5-0.

Slashing his 16th ace, Medvedev served out the 26-minute fourth set to force a decider. Serving with sharper self-assurance and exploiting the teenager’s growing fatigue, Medvedev won 16 of 20 points on his serve in the fourth set.

Both men left the court before starting the final set at about 1:37 a.m. Melbourne time.

Digging down deep, Tien mixed low slice backhands with some higher topspin forehands. That unsettling menu drew a forehand error from Medvedev ending a 20-shot rally as Tien broke for a 3-1 lead three hours and 52 minutes into the match.

Serving at 4-5, 30-all, Medvedev produced pure serve-and-volley magic that would make the young Stefan Edberg smile in appreciation. Medvedev pulled off a stunning, spinning backhand volley winner that drew gasps from some fans for 40-30. A slick drop volley and backhand pass helped the Russian hold strong for 5-all.

Fifth-set tension escalated with another unexpected twist: rain began falling prompting about a six-minute delay at 2:30 a.m. to close the roof over Margaret Court Arena.

When play resumed Medvedev zipped a forehand winner down the line that helped him gain double break point. Another grueling rally saw the Russian go full forehand squash shot to extend the point and eventually forcing the error to break for 6-5.

Showing his competitive character, Tien came right back. Tien sent Medvedev scurrying side-to-side before belting a backhand winner to break and force the first fifth-set match tiebreaker of this 2025 AO.

Stinging a good wide serve, Medvedev went up 6-4 in the 10-point tiebreaker. Tien hit his forehand down the line behind Medvedev then feathered a forehand dropper winner for 5-6 then leveled at 6-all on a Medvedev error.

Zapping a bold diagonal forehand winner inside the sideline gave Tien an 8-7 lead. Medvedev hooked his signature shot, the backhand wide, as Tien gained a second match point.

When Medvedev’s return sailed the teenager was through to the third round of a Grand Slam in just his fourth major appearance.


"You guys got me through that one," Tien told the appreciative crowd who stayed to watch this thriller.

Tien will try to keep this magic ride going facing Frenchman Corentin Moutet next for a spot in the round of 16.


 

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