Mumbai: A remark made in jest on Tuesday was almost confirmed true on Thursday by Daniil Medvedev. The world No.5 wanted 5 units to get the higher of 418th ranked wild card Kasidit Samrej of Thailand of their first spherical match of the Australian Open on January 14.
Learner Tien, left, is congratulated after profitable his second spherical match in opposition to Daniil Medvedev on the Australian Open. (AP)
“I know I play better when I play more tennis,” Medvedev had quipped. “So why play one hour 30, I need minimum three hours to feel my shots better.”
On Thursday, he got here throughout 19-year-old American participant Learner Tien, ranked 121 on the earth. The teenager received the primary two units to place Medvedev on the backfoot. However true to what he had stated on court docket days earlier, the Russian began to search out his groove. He received a decent third set after saving a match level. He blazed by the fourth set.
Medvedev was coming again to his greatest. However when it got here time to serve for the match, Tien was higher.
Enjoying within the fifth set of a match for the second time in his fledgling profession, Tien pulled off the upset of the event by beating former US Open champion and final yr’s Australian Open finalist 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(10-7).
“I was really hoping it wasn’t going to get into the fifth set ‘breaker, but either way, I’m really happy to get the win,” Tien stated within the on-court interview after the match on the Margaret Court docket Area. “I know I made it harder than it could have been.”
In a match that went on for 4 hours and 49 minutes, ultimately ending simply in need of 3 AM native time, each gamers struggled for consistency. Tien hit 53 winners to Medvedev’s 52, whereas the unforced errors depend had the American commit a whopping 79 to a fair larger 82 from the Russian.
However when the chips are down and the accuracy wayward, Tien someway finds a approach to win, in keeping with his coach Eric Diaz. In his first spherical match, in opposition to Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Tien hit 16 double faults – the equal of 4 video games – however managed to win the match in 5 units.
“The kid’s a winner and he just finds different ways,” Diaz stated to ATPTour.com. “When they have that type of day and you’re just double faulting, I think a lot of guys would probably let it get the best of them. He just stays really calm and just finds a way.”
He discovered a approach late within the fifth set when Medvedev was serving for the match at 6-5.
For many of the match, Tien performed proportion tennis as a rule by retaining the ball nearer to the centre of court docket slightly than discover sharp angles. All that modified when his again was in opposition to the wall.
Medvedev’s huge booming serve was returned with curiosity. The topspin photographs had turn out to be flatter and extra telling. Tien broke again instantly at 15 to take the competition into the match tiebreak.
Then down a mini-break, Tien chased down a volley positioned deep on his forehand nook and performed a surprising cross to stage the scores. He then received three factors on the trot to safe the match and e-book his spot within the third spherical of a Grand Slam for the primary time.
After his first spherical win, Tien had informed ATPTour.com, “It definitely feels good to know that you found a way, even in not the most ideal circumstances that you would want. But it’s a good feeling, honestly, to problem solve and find a way through a match where you don’t feel your best, maybe, and you know things are going wrong.”
On Thursday, he problem-solved his approach to the largest win of his profession. Thus far.