Tien Becomes Youngest Since Nadal to Reach Australian Open Last 16
Learner Tien, 19, Makes History as Youngest Man in Australian Open Fourth Round Since Rafael Nadal.
Teenage qualifier Learner Tien described his achievement as "pretty crazy" after becoming the youngest man to reach the Australian Open fourth round since Rafael Nadal in 2005. Tien secured his spot on Saturday with a decisive victory over France’s Corentin Moutet.
The 19-year-old American triumphed 7-6 (12/10), 6-3, 6-3 in Melbourne, as Moutet suffered an apparent injury in the third set but managed to continue playing. Tien’s impressive run includes a shocking five-set victory over last year’s runner-up and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
"Honestly, it feels pretty crazy to be in the second week, especially coming through qualifying," Tien admitted.
No American male his age has progressed this far in Melbourne since Pete Sampras in 1990. His next challenge will be against Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in four sets.
"This has already exceeded my expectations," Tien added. "You go into every match believing you can win, but to make it to the second week is incredible."
Tien is part of a trio of teenage sensations who shook up the tournament by defeating top-10 players. However, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and Czech Jakub Mensik have since been eliminated.
In a clash of left-handers, Tien initially took a 3-1 lead in the first set after an unforced error from Moutet, but the Frenchman leveled at 3-3. A dramatic tiebreak ensued, lasting 72 minutes, which Tien won 12/10.
The American then dominated the second set, securing two crucial breaks. The third set took an unexpected turn when Moutet collapsed in pain after serving at 15-0. Despite being visibly hampered, he continued, but Tien capitalized on the situation to claim victory and reach his first Grand Slam last 16.
"I didn’t really see what happened at first... just saw him on the ground," Tien said. "At times, he looked like he couldn’t move properly, and at others, he was running full speed."
Sinner Cruises into Last 16
Defending champion Jannik Sinner displayed dominance as he powered into the fourth round with a commanding straight-sets win over American Marcos Giron.
The Italian world number one faced a minor setback in the second round when he dropped a set against Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate. However, against Giron, he showed no signs of struggle, securing a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory in just over two hours. Sinner fired 35 winners and eight aces on Rod Laver Arena.
His next opponent will be either Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic or Danish 13th seed Holger Rune, both facing a formidable 17-match win streak since Sinner’s last loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing last October.
"I’m really happy to be in the next round," Sinner said. "Every match presents different challenges, and today my opponent was very solid from the back of the court. I feel like I still have areas to improve, but I’m focused on staying mentally strong, which is key for us tennis players."
The 23-year-old is defending a Grand Slam title for the first time after his epic five-set win over Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final. He wasted no time asserting his dominance against Giron, breaking him early and maintaining control throughout the match.
Despite making 11 unforced errors in the first set, Sinner’s early break proved sufficient. In the second set, he patiently waited for his opportunity and broke Giron in the fifth game to go up 3-2. From there, he controlled the rallies with precision.
A blistering backhand winner in the third set put Sinner 2-0 ahead. Although Giron fought back to level at 2-2, Sinner quickly regained the upper hand and closed out the match in emphatic style.