Australian Open: US qualifier Learner Tien stuns Daniil Medvedev in five-set thriller
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Learner Tien, a 19-year-old qualifier from California, became the youngest American man to reach the Australian Open’s third round since Pete Sampras in 1990, upsetting a racket-tossing Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6 in a thrilling contest that began on Thursday night and ended in the wee hours of Friday in Melbourne.
The four-hour, 49-minute match had a bit of everything, including a six-minute rain delay that interrupted play shortly before 2.30am with Tien serving at 5-5 in the fifth set. When play resumed, Medvedev broke and served for the match at 6-5, but Tien refused to cede, broke back, and forced the concluding first-to-10 tiebreaker, which he emerged to win shortly before 3am. His victory came about two hours after he had failed to convert his initial match point.
The outcome was eyebrow-raising because of the wide gulf in experience and accomplishments between the two players on Margaret Court Arena. Tien is the world No 121 and owned a career grand slam record of 0-3 before this week; Medvedev was seeded No 5, won the 2021 US Open and was the runner-up at Melbourne Park in three of the past four years, including 12 months ago.
“I was definitely hoping it wouldn’t go to a fifth-set breaker ... It was definitely harder than maybe it could have been, but, whatever,” Tien said, then told the crowd: “I really appreciate all you guys staying out here. I know it’s late. I have no idea what time it is.”.
