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Fast Learner: Tien upsets Medvedev in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Learner Tien, a 19-year-old qualifier from California, became the youngest American man to reach the Australian Open's third round since Pete Sampras in 1990, upsetting a racket-tossing Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a match that began Thursday night and ended in the wee hours of Friday.
The 4-hour, 49-minute contest had a bit of everything, including -- hard to believe -- a six-minute rain delay that interrupted play shortly before 2:30 a.m. with Tien serving at 5-all, 15-all in the fifth set. When they resumed, Medvedev broke and served for the victory at 6-5, but Tien wouldn't cede a thing, broke back, and forced the concluding first-to-10 tiebreaker that he emerged to win shortly before 3 a.m., about two hours after he failed to convert his initial match point.
"Belief is a big thing in succeeding and winning, in general. I always go on the court believing that there's a chance I can win," said Tien, who showed up at his news conference toting a white cardboard box with a pepperoni pizza. "I wasn't trying to think of the match as anything more important than any other match I've ever played. I was just going to go out there, have fun, see what I could do."
As for the postmatch snack, he said, "It was either going to be celebratory or a binge-y, like, cope. It feels better it's more celebratory, for sure."
The outcome was eyebrow-raising because of the wide gulf in experience and accomplishments between the two players at Margaret Court Arena. Tien is ranked 121st and owned a career Grand Slam record of 0-3 before this week; Medvedev was seeded No. 5, won the 2021 US Open and was the runner-up at Melbourne Park in three of the past four years, including 12 months ago.
"It was definitely harder than maybe it could have been, but, whatever," Tien said on court right afterward, then told the crowd: "I really appreciate all you guys staying out here. I know it's late. I have no idea what time it is."
Tien's upset over Medvedev was the biggest upset in the men's draw by betting odds so far, as Tien closed as a +400 underdog, according to ESPN BET odds. However, the biggest upset of this year's tournament so far came on the women's side when Laura Siegemund, a +1100 underdog by ESPN BET odds, took down 5-seed Zheng Qinwen in second-round play.
"I was definitely hoping it wouldn't go to a fifth-set breaker. ... It was definitely harder than maybe it could have been, but, whatever," Tien said, then told the crowd: "I really appreciate all you guys staying out here. I know it's late. I have no idea what time it is."
Because of the time difference, the match ended at about 8 a.m. on Thursday morning back home in California, and he took the microphone to speak directly to his family -- he said he hoped they were tuned in on TV.
"I don't know if my parents are still watching. ... I love you guys. Thank you for always supporting me from across the world," Tien said. "I know you guys wish you could be here. I wish you could be here, too."
The left-handed Tien played fearlessly and almost flawlessly for stretches, surprisingly getting the better of lengthy exchanges at the baseline: Across the first two sets, he won 32 of the 51 points that lasted nine or more strokes, even coming out on top on one that went 45 shots and another that lasted 32.
Tien did not blink until he reached the precipice of by far his most important win, holding a match point in the third-set tiebreaker when he led it 7-6. But Medvedev erased that with a 122 mph ace and eventually converted his third set point at a little past 1 a.m., then easily pushed things to the fifth set.
Medvedev was penalized a point in the third set while showing the same sorts of signs of frustration that led him to destroy a tiny camera hanging in the net by smacking it with his racket during a surprisingly difficult, five-set, first-round win against an opponent ranked 418th.
After getting broken to trail 4-3 in the second set when Tien delivered a lob that landed at a baseline -- not the only time he did that to his 6-foot-6 foe -- Medvedev chucked his equipment toward the sideline, skidding it across the court until it reached an advertising panel near his bench. At other moments of anger, Medvedev hit a ball against the back wall, toppled a camera behind a baseline and punched his racket bag. He also voiced displeasure about being called for two consecutive foot-faults, resulting in a double fault, during the second-set tiebreaker.
This was Medvedev's first tournament of the season -- his wife recently gave birth to their second child -- and he never really displayed his best tennis. As he often does, the 28-year-old Russian shifted tactics in an attempt to change the course of things, pushing forward to the net frequently early in the third set.
Some mistakes by Tien handed over a service break and a 4-3 lead to Medvedev in that set. But Tien broke right back, then held for a 5-4 edge after Medvedev got docked a point.
Tien reached two junior Grand Slam singles finals in 2023, at the Australian Open and US Open, and played one semester of college tennis at Southern California before turning pro that year.
He just turned 19 last month, and now is the youngest man from the United States to get this far at the Australian Open since an 18-year-old Sampras reached the fourth round in 1990. Sampras won the US Open later that year for the first of his 14 Grand Slam titles, a total that ranks fourth among men in tennis history. Tien and Alex Michelsen are the first pair of American men 20 or younger to advance to the third round at a major since 2003, and the first at the Australian Open since 1990.
The Tien-Medvedev match was the latest significant result for a teen in Melbourne this year.
Tien joined Joao Fonseca of Brazil and Martin Landaluce of Spain as the first trio of teenagers to participate in the qualifying rounds and make the men's bracket at a major since Wimbledon in 2017. Then Fonseca, who beat No. 9 Andrey Rublev, and Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, who defeated No. 6 Casper Ruud, became the first pair of teens to beat top-10 men at the same Grand Slam tournament since Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray did it at Wimbledon in 2006.
Now Tien makes it three. He called what Fonseca and Mensik did "definitely pretty inspiring."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Welcome to Bogota? Wrexham duo invests again

Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Eva Longoria are among the investors in an American group that has acquired Colombian top division side La Equidad.
The group is led by real estate investor Al Tylis, who is co-chairman of Mexican Club Necaxa, and Sam Porter, an executive of both Necaxa and MLS franchise D.C. United.
Reynolds and McElhenney also bought a minority stake in Necaxa in April 2024, with the Mexican team's ownership group buying a stake in Wrexham in return.
The investment group acquiring La Equidad also includes American baseball star Justin Verlander and former NBA player Shawn Marion. The club confirmed in a statement that the takeover has been approved by Colombia's league, Dimayor.
"We welcome Al Tylis and Sam Porter, who arrive with a clear, long-term vision to continue strengthening our club," La Equidad posted on X. "This is the first step towards a future full of opportunities."
A club statement added: "Al Tylis and Sam Porter not only have extensive experience in the sports world but they also have the support of recognised figures such as Eva Longoria, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Shawn Marion and Scott Galloway."
Based in Colombia's capital Bogota, La Equidad was founded in 1982 and finished 13th in the 20-team league last season. Their Estadio Metropolitano has a capacity of 10,000.
Reynolds and McElhenney made a splash in English football when they acquired Wrexham in 2021.
Since the star duo's arrival, Wrexham have been promoted twice and are in the running to do so again as they sit third in League One, behind Tom Brady's Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers
Kyrgios & Kokkinakis retire injured from doubles

Britain's Joe Salisbury and Neal Skuski beat Argentina's Sebastian Baez and Francisco Comesana 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 in the first round.
The 10th seeds are playing their first major together since Salisbury split with long-time partner Rajeev Ram after winning four Grand Slam titles, including the 2020 Australian Open, with the American.
Henry Patten and Finland's Harri Heliovaara, the Wimbledon champions, beat India's Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and American Ryan Seggerman 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.
Luke Johnson won alongside Dutchman Sander Arends against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Sergio Martos Gornes.
In the women's doubles, Britain's Harriet Dart and France's Diane Parry beat Britain's Heather Watson and Czech Linda Noskova 6-3 7-5.
Olivia Nicholls and Slovakia's Tereza Mihalikova were knocked out by Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko and Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei, the third seeds, while Tara Moore and Austria's Julia Grabher lost to Americans Sabrina Santamaria and Bernarda Pera.
Lloyd Glasspool and Russian Alexandra Panova clinched a 6-4 1-6 10-8 victory over Belgian Joran Vliegen and Spaniard Cristina Bucsa in the mixed doubles, but Jamie Murray and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands fell to a 6-3 3-6 11-9 defeat by Australia's Alex Bolt and Priscilla Hon.
Doubles 'dating' & reindeer stew fuel Patten success

Patten, 28, is a late bloomer who studied finance at university in the United States.
In 2016, he spent the summer break from his studies working on the outdoor courts at Wimbledon as a data analyst for IBM.
Heliovarra, 35, stopped playing professionally in 2013 because of an autoimmune disease that affects his spine.
"I never really aspired to be a professional tennis player as a junior or when I was at university. I just kept doing quite well and it snowballed," Patten said.
"And Harri thought that was it for him when he stopped playing singles. He was working at the airport, had a stint in finance then came back to the sport.
"Now we're both very focused on tennis but we're multi-faceted in our backgrounds."
Patten says it feels like he has known Heliovaara for years, even though they only started spending time together from April.
Their friendship was further strengthened when Patten headed to Helsinki for a week of training in October, staying with Heliovaara, his wife and two small children in their family home.
After the serious business of training, Patten was keen to learn and experience as much about the Finnish way of life as he could.
Regular trips around the capital city to see the tourist sights were followed by some home cooking by Heliovaara - including his speciality dish of reindeer stew.
"He told me about halfway through that he was cooking it, so I was a little nervous about the outcome," laughs Patten.
"It was very good. I was very complimentary and he was very complimentary about his own cooking.
"I don't know what that says about him but he seemed to think he had done a very good job."
That sense of humour, alongside a deep mutual respect, underpins a stable partnership that they hope will give them a head start against a host of new men's pairings that have come together for this season.
The targets for the new season naturally start with another Grand Slam title in Melbourne, before a concerted effort for the world's top 10 aided by greater consistency on the ATP Tour.
"Everyone else is scrambling a little bit and not knowing how these partnerships are going to go," Patten said.
"Ours is a partnership which we know works and can be very effective.
"We're looking forward to kicking on. We have a lot to achieve."
Raducanu apologised to Murray to avoid 'bad blood'

Emma Raducanu said she apologised to Andy Murray over her Wimbledon mixed doubles withdrawal last year as she did not want any "bad blood" between the pair.
Murray was due to play alongside Raducanu during his final outing at the All England Club before his fellow Briton pulled out of the mixed doubles because of "some stiffness" in her right wrist.
The former men's world number one was not permitted to find a replacement partner as the draw had already been made and was said to be "disappointed" by a decision which ended his Wimbledon career.
It meant Murray's last match at the tournament was a defeat alongside older brother Jamie in the men's doubles earlier on at the event.
Murray's mother Judy - in response to a post on X from television presenter Marcus Buckland describing Raducanu's decision as "astonishing" - wrote: "Yes, astonishing."
After a string of negative responses, she later wrote: "Not sure anyone understands sarcasm these days. Pretty sure the scheduling... will have played a major part in any decision-making."
Raducanu addressed the issue after her second round win against Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open on Thursday.
"Afterwards I sent him [Andy Murray] a long message basically apologising if I caused any trouble, I guess, at Wimbledon, that's definitely the last thing I want," said Raducanu.
"He's someone that I've grown up looking up to and I don't want any bad blood or harsh feelings with him.
"I sent him a long message and he took it really well and responded saying he was disappointed but he understood."
Murray, who retired after competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, is also at the Australian Open as he is part of Novak Djokovic's coaching team.
"We're fine now," added Raducanu. "We walk past each other and say, 'hello', 'well done'. It's obviously really cool seeing him with Novak [Djokovic] here as well."

Jannik Sinner recovered from a slow start against world number 173 Tristan Schoolkate to keep his Australian Open title defence on track.
Sinner, who claimed his first major title in Melbourne last year, had not dropped a set since October's Shanghai Masters.
But Australian Schoolkate thrilled a partisan crowd on Rod Laver Arena when he struck at 5-4 to win the opener and end Sinner's 29-set winning streak.
However, the wildcard could not keep pace with the top seed as Sinner sped through the gears to grab a 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3 victory and a place in the third round.
The 23-year-old is the youngest player to win nine successive men's singles matches at the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic between 2008 and 2009.
Asked how this year felt different to his title-winning run, Sinner said: "It's a different feeling but so many beautiful moments, on and off the court, have happened to me here. It's different but I take it as a chance to do it again.
"It's still a very, very long way to go. We go day by day. Seeing my level today we know that I can improve."
Sinner is competing at the Australian Open for the first time since he failed two doping tests in March.
His doping case will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in April after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed appealed against the decision to clear him.
Schoolkate arrived at this year's tournament with just two Grand Slam match wins under his belt, but he made Sinner look far from his best in the first set.
The two-time major winner struggled to deal with Schoolkate's aggressive play at the net, with the home favourite winning 17 of his 18 net points in clinching the opener.
Sinner had to wait for 80 minutes to bring up his first break point opportunity, but he took it with both hands and it was plain sailing from there for the defending champion, who will face American Marcos Giron in the third round on Saturday.

Collins said the 290,000 Australian dollars (147,500) that she will receive for reaching the third round at Melbourne Park would be used on a "five-star trip".
"Me and my group of girlfriends, we love a five-star vacation so I can guarantee that cheque is going to go towards our next five-star trip hopefully to the Bahamas," said Collins, who will face compatriot Madison Keys next.
"We like boats, we like big boats, we like yachts, so we'll post about it and let you guys know how it goes."
Collins returned to tennis at the start of 2025 after previously announcing she would retire at the end of the 2024 season.
She continues to deal with endometriosis, which can affect fertility, and told BBC Sport in May that starting a family was "one of her biggest goals outside of tennis".
ITTF Welcomes Unprecedented Bidding Race for World Championships 2027-2028-2029

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is delighted to announce a record-breaking number of bids to host its flagship events: the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2027 and 2029, and the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals 2028.
With 10 Member Associations expressing their interest, this marks a historic moment for table tennis and highlights the global appeal and growth of the sport.
The Race Is On
Heres the breakdown of the bidding Member Associations, showcasing a mix of experienced hosts and newcomers eager to make their mark on the world stage.
2027: Brazil, China, France, Kazakhstan, USA
2028: China, Iraq, Italy, Japan
2029: Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Iraq, USA
ITTF President Petra Sörling expressed her enthusiasm: Never before have we seen such a number of bids for the ITTF World Championships. This truly shows how much table tennis has grown. The ITTF has led the way, building unprecedented momentum. I want to thank all the Member Associations who stepped up to support us in this mission. With this incredible list of bidders, theres no doubt we are setting a strong foundation for the years ahead.
A Blend of History and Firsts
China, France, Germany, and Japan have hosted multiple ITTF World Championships, while Australia, Brazil, Iraq, Italy, and Kazakhstan aim to bring this iconic event to new horizons. Notably, Australia could host the first-ever ITTF World Championships in Oceania. The USA hosted the event once in 2021 (Houston, Texas), and remains the only Member Association on the American continent to have done so to date.
The bidding process continues with site visits and dialogues between the ITTF and bidding Member Associations. These interactions will help fine-tune proposals and determine proposed host cities. The final decision will be made on 27 May 2025, during the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM), where all 227 Member Associations will cast their votes to decide the hosts.
ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton commented: It is wonderful to have 10 bidders from four continents with a mix of experienced hosts and uncharted territories. We now enter to the next bidding phase but are we are already excitedly anticipating the AGMs decisions in May that will be ensure three years of amazing World Championships.
About the ITTF World Championships
The ITTF World Championships Finals feature the worlds best talent, with 128 mens and womens players in Singles and 64 pairs in each doubles category competing in a straight knockout formata spectacle brimming with drama and excitement. Meanwhile, the World Team Championships Finals unite 64 mens and womens teams, delivering unforgettable moments for millions of fans worldwide.
The ITTF World Championships Finals 2025 will take place in Doha from 1725 May, while the landmark centenary edition of the ITTF World Team Championships Finals 2026 will be hosted in London from 110 May.

Cardiff: Jacob Beetham; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo, Rory Jennings, Tom Bowen; Ben Thomas (capt), Ellis Bevan; Rhys Barratt, Evan Lloyd, Kieron Assiratti, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Thomas Young, Alun Lawrence.
Replacements: Efan Daniel, Danny Southworth, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Mackenzie Martin, Johan Mulder, Callum Sheedy, Cameron Winnett.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Chay Mullins, Piers O'Conor, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Cian Prendergast (capt), Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitlear, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, David O'Connor, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, JJ Hanrahan, David Hawkshaw.
Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)

Ulster: S Moore; W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry; J Murphy, N Doak; E O'Sullivan, R Herring, S Wilson; I Henderson (capt), C Izuchukwu; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: C Reid, T Stewart, C Barrett, H Sheridan, K Treadwell, J Cooney, J Flannery, R Lyttle.
Exeter: H Skinner; B Hammersley, J Hawkins, W Rigg, P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood, N Armstrong; W Goodrick-Clarke, J Innard (capt), J Isoefa-Scott; R Tuima, C Tshiunza; M Moloney, R Capstick, R Vintcent.
Replacements: Max Norey, K Blose, J Roots, J Dunne, L Pearson, J Bailey, T Cairns, Z Wimbush.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)