World No 121 beats No 5 seed 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6Californian seals victory just before 3am in Melbourne
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, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6 in a thrilling contest that began on Thursday night and ended in the wee hours of Friday in Melbourne.
The four-hour, 49-minute match had a bit of everything, including a six-minute rain delay that interrupted play shortly before 2.30am with Tien serving at 5-5 in the fifth set. When play resumed, Medvedev broke and served for the match at 6-5, but Tien refused to cede, broke back, and forced the concluding first-to-10 tiebreaker, which he emerged to win shortly before 3am. His victory came about two hours after he had failed to convert his initial match point.
About Author
More Stories
Shaun Murphy misses out on 147 in victory over Neil Robertson at Masters
In Ange we trust? Why Spurs should risk potential failure and back Postecoglou | Max Rushden
Manchester United v Southampton: Premier League – live