A youngster, Learnen Tien, got here to Melbourne with a 0-3 rating at Majors. The 19-year-old American certified for the Australian Open major draw and scored two five-setter wins. Learnen confronted world no. 5 and final yr’s finalist Daniil Medvedev within the second spherical.
The younger gun ousted world no. 5 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6 in 4 hours and 49 minutes for a spot within the final 32! Tien survived in opposition to the extra skilled opponent and have become the youngest American within the Australian Open third spherical since Pete Sampras in 1990!
Medvedev didn’t play nicely in his first match in Melbourne. He handed that impediment however fell on the second regardless of making an attempt the whole lot. The Russian served at 56%, which plagued his probabilities. He fired 20 aces and 9 double faults.
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Tien claimed six factors fewer than final yr’s finalist however secured the pivotal ones. Learnen landed 53 winners and 79 unforced errors, which Daniil produced a 52-82 ratio. It was a brutal contest between two excellent baselines, with 122 factors reaching the ninth shot!
Medvedev took cost within the quickest exchanges due to these service winners, whereas Tien responded in essentially the most prolonged ones. Daniil served for the win at 5-4 within the closing set. He skilled a pricey break and dropped the match tie break 10-7.
Learnen Tien & Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Thus, world no. 5 skilled his earliest Australian Open loss since 2018. The extra skilled participant made a nice begin, clinching a break within the third recreation of the opener. He may have cemented the opener after incomes two extra break factors in recreation 5.
Learnen denied them and held, remaining on the optimistic facet. The American gained a lift and pulled the break again in recreation six with a pressured error. Tien erased Medvedev’s recreation factors in recreation eight and created two break factors.
The 19-year-old seized the second with a pressured error and moved in entrance. Learnen served for the set at 5-3 and landed a fortunate web wire forehand down the road winner, rattling off 5 video games and securing the opener 6-3. The second set went right down to the wire.
Learnen Tien, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
They traded six breaks within the opening eight video games earlier than the younger gun grabbed one other at 5-5 and served for the set. Tien misplaced focus and obtained damaged after a pressured error to maintain his rival in competition. Learnen left that unfastened recreation behind and clinched three mini-breaks.
The American fired a forehand down the road winner on a set level at 6-4, forging two units to like benefit after an hour and 52 minutes. The third set lasted even longer than the second, with two rivals pushing one another to the boundaries.
They served nicely within the first six video games earlier than buying and selling breaks at 3-3. The returners barely grabbed a degree within the remaining video games, introducing one other tie break. Daniil bounced again from 2-4 and created a set level at 6-5.
Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Learnen saved it with a valiant forehand winner and earned a match level at 7-6. World no. 5 erased it with an ace and prevailed 10-8 on his third set level, welcoming the rival’s forehand error and lengthening the battle after three hours.
The Russian took cost and dominated the fourth set. He barely misplaced a degree on serve and offered breaks in video games two and 4. Medvedev fired an ace at 5-1, wrapping up the set in 26 minutes and turning into the favorites within the decider.
Tien saved break factors within the first recreation, avoiding an early setback. He broke within the fourth recreation for 3-1 earlier than dropping serve within the subsequent one to maintain his opponent alive. They served nicely within the subsequent 5 video games and locked the consequence at 5-5.
Learnen Tien & Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Final yr’s finalist secured a break within the eleventh recreation and served for the win at 6-5. The younger gun refused to give up! He cracked a backhand winner in recreation 12 to tug the break again and introduce the match tie break.
They traded 4 mini-breaks within the opening 12 factors for 6-6. Learnen missed a routine forehand within the thirteenth level and fell behind. Nonetheless, an adolescent painted a operating forehand down the road winner for 7-7. He punched one other forehand winner for the second straight mini-break.
A left-hander endured an entertaining rally within the sixteenth level and moved 9-7 in entrance. Learnen hit a service winner on the primary match level, celebrating a career-best victory and reaching the third spherical on his debut in Melbourne.
