Learner Tien is through to a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal after producing a dominant display against Daniil Medvedev.
Tien clinched his third win over the Russian, beating him in straight sets and handing him his first-ever bagel at a major, 6-4, 6-0, 6-3.
The Next Gen ATP Finals champion, aged 20, is now the youngest American to reach his first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal since Andy Roddick in 2001.
His next assignment comes in the form of third seed Alexander Zverev, whom he has faced twice before at tour-level events.
Ahead of the clash, Tien said what he honestly thinks of the German’s game.
Learner Tien reacts to making his first Grand Slam quarterfinal
Reacting to the win over Medvedev in his on-court interview, Tien said: “I mean, it feels amazing, I mean, so special to do it, especially here, where, you know, it’s so special for me to come back and play every year, and this is a big goal for me this year, and, you know, I’m just super happy.”
“Every year since I’ve been coming here, the crowd support has been amazing. I don’t know why, honestly.
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“But every year it’s been so special to come back and play in front of a crowd like this with this much energy and support, and so it means the world to me to do it here.”
When asked about his upcoming bout with Zverev, Tien said: “Yeah, I mean gonna be a super tough match.
“I was able to get him the first time we played, and then the second time we played, he beat me pretty bad, actually.
“You know, it’s going to be a really tough match. He plays great tennis here. He’s a defending finalist here, so it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
Learner Tien’s head to head record against Alexander Zverev
Both of Tien’s meetings with Zverev on the ATP Tour came during last season, with the first taking place in Acapulco.
At the ATP 500 competition in Mexico, Tien overcame Zverev in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16.
Zverev earned revenge when they played for a second time at Roland Garros, defeating Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 on the clay courts of Paris.
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Now, the two will face off for the first time in a best-of-five hard-court match, with a place in the semifinals of the Australian Open up for grabs.
While Tien is seeking his first final-four appearance, Zverev is bidding to reach the semifinal stage of a Grand Slam for the 10th time in his career.
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