Alexander Zverev has reached yet another Australian Open semifinal after knocking out Learner Tien.
Tien was expecting a tough match with Zverev, and that is exactly what played out in their exciting battle at Rod Laver Arena.
Zverev defeated Tien 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-6(3) in their Australian Open quarterfinal, coming out on top after three hours and 11 minutes.
Tien had set up the clash in Melbourne after knocking out Daniil Medvedev, beating the former ATP number one in straight sets in round four.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
Alexander Zverev thinks aces were key to his win vs Learner Tien
American ace Tien has now received high praise from Zverev following his fantastic run at the hard-court Grand Slam.
In his on-court interview, the German said: “Learner from the baseline was playing unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve played anyone who plays that well from the baseline for a very, very long time.
“I don’t know what Michael Chang has done with him in the offseason, but the way he’s playing is incredible.
“Without my 20 aces or something like that, I probably would not have won today, so obviously very happy with my serve. Just generally happy to be back in the semis.”
Who has the most difficult Australian Open draw?
Alexander Zverev hits Grand Slam milestone at the Australian Open
Zverev was slightly off with his numbers post-match, with the towering German hitting 24 aces rather than 20.
It was a serving masterclass from the world number three, who will now meet the winner of the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur.
Zverev is certainly no stranger to firing down aces, with the 28-year-old currently ranked 23rd in the all-time ATP aces leaderboard.
He’s ahead of the likes of American duo Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka, although he has a very long way to go to catch John Isner at the top of the pile.
| Rank | Player | Aces | Matches |
| 1 | John Isner | 14,470 | 772 |
| 2 | Ivo Karlovic | 13,728 | 694 |
| 3 | Roger Federer | 11,478 | 1462 |
| 4 | Feliciano Lopez | 10,261 | 976 |
| 5 | Goran Ivanisevic | 10,237 | 731 |
| 6 | Andy Roddick | 9,074 | 776 |
| 7 | Sam Querrey | 8,879 | 694 |
| 8 | Pete Sampras | 8,858 | 792 |
| 9 | Milos Raonic | 8,445 | 542 |
| 10 | Marin Cilic | 8,338 | 892 |
| 23 | Alexander Zverev | 6,020 | 716 |
Under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena due to the heat, Zverev also saved all three break points he faced with unreturned serves, and recorded just one double fault.
The superb performance has helped him reach a 10th Grand Slam semifinal, and a fourth at the Australian Open.
Of course, Tien also deserves huge praise for his run in Melbourne, with the 20-year-old American certainly heading for a very bright future.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
