Learner Tien is the second-youngest American man to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open in the Open Era - By Sam Jacot
 

There is no stopping #NextGenATP American Learner Tien right now. The 19-year-old qualifier backed up his breakthrough win against Daniil Medvedev with a 7-6(10), 6-3, 6-3 third-round triumph against Frenchman Corentin Moutet on Saturday at the Australian Open.

Tien defeated World No. 5 Medvedev in a five-set thriller in a match that finished at 2:54 a.m. on Friday morning on Margaret Court Arena. Just 36 hours later, Tien showed little sign of fatigue to soar past Moutet and become the youngest player to reach the fourth round in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005. He is also the second-youngest American man to advance to the last 16 at the AO after Pete Sampras reached the same stage aged 18.

"It feels great," Tien said after his two-hour, 48-minute win. "This exceeded my expectations from what I was hoping for coming into this week. You go into every match believing you can win but being in the second week is amazing.

"I don't think I can start comparing myself to Nadal now, but that is really cool."

Tien, a finalist at last month’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, is making his Australian Open debut. His only previous Slam experience had come at home at the US Open, where he had fallen in the first round on all three occasions as a wild card.

Tien, who beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets in the first round, outlasted Moutet in the cat-and-mouse exchanges on Kia Arena, while he was physically stronger than the Frenchman, who struggled with cramping in the third set.

The 19-year-old is up 41 spots to No. 80 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will next meet Lorenzo Sonego after the Italian beat Fabian Marozsan 6-7(3), 7-6(8), 6-1, 6-2.

Tien joins good friend Alex Michelsen in the fourth round. The pair, who have competed and trained together in California when growing up, met at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December.

APTTOUR