Teenage qualifier Learner Tien said it was “pretty crazy” after becoming the youngest man to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal in 2005 when he defeated France’s Corentin Moutet on Saturday.
The American 19-year-old won 7-6 (12/10), 6-3, 6-3 in Melbourne, with Moutet collapsing holding his leg in the third set before continuing gamely.
The victory extended Tien’s outstanding tournament after he surprised last year’s runner-up and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller in the second round. “Honestly, it’s pretty crazy to be in the second week. Going through the Qs [qualifying]”, he said.
No other American his age had gone as far in Melbourne since Pete Sampras in 1990, and Tien’s reward was a clash against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in four sets.
“This exceeded my expectations, what I was hoping for this week,” added Tien. “You go into every match believing you can win, but to be in the second week is unbelievable.”
Tien is one of three teenagers to ignite the Australian Open with wins over top-10 players, alongside Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik, who have since dropped out.
In a battle of lefties, Tien broke early for a 3-1 lead in the first set thanks to an unforced error by Moutet on the baseline. However, the Frenchman tied the score at 3-3.
Another exchange of breaks led to a dramatic tiebreak that ebbed and flowed before Tien won it 12/10, ending the 72-minute set.
The American broke twice in the second set to take control of the match before Moutet collapsed to the ground clutching his left leg after serving at 15-0 in the opening game of the third set.
He got up and spiritedly tried to continue but was clearly in pain as his movement was restricted and Tien took advantage to book a place in the last 16 of the Grand Slam final.
“I didn’t really see what was happening… I just saw him on the ground,” Tien said.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure what was going on with him because there were some points where he didn’t seem to be able to move or really use his legs that much.
“Other points he led and removed.”
Sinner enters the last 16
Defending champion Jannik Sinner was in a ruthless mood as he cruised into the last 16 after defeating American Marcos Giron in straight sets.
The Italian, the world number one, dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches in his second-round clash against Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate. There were no such hesitations against unseeded Girona at Rod Laver Arena as he convincingly cruised home 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 2 hours and 1 minute, hitting 35 winners and eight aces.
Next up for him is either Serbian Miomir Kecmanović or 13th-seeded Dane Holger Rune, who will face a player on a 17-game winning streak. That record dates back to a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing in October.
“I’m very happy to be in the next round,” said Sinner, who also won the US Open and ATP Finals among his eight titles last year. “Each game has its own difficulties. Today I felt that he was very solid from the back of the court, he served well.
“I still have room for improvement, but every victory is great. To try to stay there mentally, which I think is the most important aspect for us tennis players,’ he added.
“But for sure, if I want to continue in this tournament, I have to improve.”
The 23-year-old, who is defending his Grand Slam title for the first time after a five-set win against Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final, asserted his authority immediately against Girona. He broke it in his first service game and that proved enough to take the set, despite committing 11 unforced errors, two more than Giron.
The top seed bided his time in the second set before making a move in the fifth game, taking advantage of two break points to take a 3-2 lead when Giron hit a forehand. The American, who was trying to reach the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time, had no answer as Sinner dominated the rallies.
Sinner’s backhand winner earned him another break to go up 2-0 in the third set and it seemed all over. However, the brave Giron, ranked 46th, had a little more fight and made a break for the first time in the match and equalized at 2-2.
This infuriated the Italian, who made a break and made no more mistakes in winning the next four games en route to victory.
