ATP Acapulco: Learnen Tien stuns Alexander Zverev

World no. 2 Alexander Zverev competed in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico for 3 weeks. As an alternative of lowering the hole to world no. 1 Jannik Sinner, Alexander barely gathered a few victories at three tournaments and stayed miles behind the Italian. 

Alexander’s newest setback got here towards the 19-year-old Learnen Tien within the second spherical in Acapulco. An adolescent ousted the Australian Open finalist 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 28 minutes for his second top-5 victory of the season. 

Like within the earlier two weeks, Zverev squandered the benefit and ended on the dropping aspect. He led 4-1 within the second set earlier than Tien rattled off 5 video games and moved excessive in type.

Tien DREAM 🙌

The second 19-year-old Learner Tien took out top-seeded Alexander Zverev in Acapulco. #AMT2025 pic.twitter.com/pUpOlPX1fG

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2025

The younger claimed 9 factors extra and made the distinction behind the second serve. Learnen saved two of three break factors and turned 41% of the return factors into three breaks from six alternatives. Alexander had the higher hand in service winners and on the internet. 

Nonetheless, he sprayed too many forehand errors and struggled from the baseline. Tien constructed a large 48-24 benefit in that space and sealed the deal in type. They served properly within the first 4 video games of the duel earlier than Learnen confronted points at 2-2. 

Learnen Tien, Acapulco 2025© Stream screenshot

 

An adolescent saved two break factors and remained on the constructive aspect after a robust serve. The American closed the seventh sport with an ace and made a push on the return within the subsequent one. Alexander performed a horrible volley and confronted a break level. 

He netted a smash and dropped serve, sending his rival 5-3 in entrance. Tien served for the set in sport 9 and compelled an error from world no. 2 to wrap up the opener 6-3 in 34 minutes. The German positioned a forehand lengthy within the first sport of the second set, dealing with two break factors. 

He saved them with winners and landed a service winner to keep away from an early setback. Zverev closed the third sport after deuces and welcomed a left-hander’s forehand mistake within the subsequent one for 2 break probabilities. World no. 2 landed a drop shot winner on the primary and moved 3-1 in entrance. 

Alexander Zverev, Acapulco 2025© Stream screenshot

 

Alexander held at love within the fifth sport after a booming serve, taking part in properly and shifting 4-1 forward. Nonetheless, that was every part we noticed from him in Acapulco! Learnen held after a deuce within the sixth sport and prolonged the following one when his rival netted a backhand. 

Zverev sprayed a forehand error and confronted a break level. He saved it with a superb assault earlier than Tien earned the second with a forehand down the road winner. He induced Alexander’s mistake and pulled the break again, lowering the hole to 4-3. 

Learnen Tien, Acapulco 2025© Stream screenshot

 

An adolescent held within the eighth sport with a service winner and locked the end result at 4-4. World no. 2 performed a horrible forehand on a break level in sport 9, struggling the second straight break and propelling his rival 5-4 in entrance. 

Learnen served for the win in sport ten and painted a backhand down the road winner for match factors. He seized the second with a pressured error, sealing the deal in type and shifting into the quarter-final.