By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
A new star is born in the sport of lawn tennis.
Learner Tien, a 19-year-old ace who had to get past the qualifiers just to earn a main draw ticket, pulled off the biggest upset in the ongoing Australian Open Grand Slam event after edging world no. 5 ranked male tennis player Daniil Medvedev- 6.3, 7.6, 6.7, 1.6, 7.6- on January 16, 2025, at the famous Margaret Court Arena in Australia.
Entering the match without any expectations, Tien only did one thing upon stepping on the court.
Perform.
Despite the majority favoring the more experienced Russian who already clinched a Grand Slam golden trophy and several semifinal appearances, Tien proved them wrong and showed the world that a no. 121-ranked player can put on a show and level Medvedev’s level of play.
Tien stunned Medvedev as early as the first set, outdueling him during the long baseline exchanges while clinching an important break point that set the tone for him in the match.
The American capitalized on Medvedev’s early frustrations and just pummeled his error-prone backhand, capping off the opener with a series of jaw-dropping forehand down-the-line bombs.
Medvedev adjusted quickly in the second set as expected, and was near to equalizing the match at 1-1 but Tien deployed a momentum-stealing counter-rally in the tiebreaker, nipping the Russian, 7-4, to move a set away from completing the 3-0 sweep.
Just when Tien thought that all the momentum was on his side, Medvedev remained focused, blasting the teenager in the third that kicked off his come-from-behind attempt.
However, Tien roared back with his efficient drop shots and hounded Medvedev with a lob-shot to a down-the-line cross-court combination that forced another tiebreaker.
The tiebreaker in the third had it all. Drama, action-packed rallies, and a chess match between their counter strategies. At the end of the long decider, Medvedev found a new lease on life after taking the frame to stay alive in the match.
It was not what Tien’s camp wanted, as giving leverage to a Grand Slam winner is not the first thing you wish for when he is down in the bright lights.
Medvedev then started to roll and played his finest set in the fourth, dominating Tien, 6-1, and entered the fifth and final set with the boosting confidence he needed to avoid an upset.
The fifth set started just like the first three, as both players traded service possession holds and ended up in another tiebreaker.
Medvedev fought and had some stellar moments in the decider, but Tien’s heart and resiliency won him the match, becoming the second-youngest American after Pete Sampras to formally punch a ticket to the third round of the Australian Open.
