Learner Tien Outlasts Medvedev in Epic Australian Open Upset

Learner Tien's Triumphant Marathon Match at the Australian Open

19-year-old American qualifier Learner Tien pulled off a stunning upset against three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open. The match, which lasted nearly five hours, ended with Tien winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (8-10), 1-6, 7-6 (10-7).

The match was a rollercoaster of emotions for both players. Tien, ranked 121st in the world, looked down and out after Medvedev made one of his trademark comebacks to win the third set. However, Tien found remarkable mental and physical reserves to win the fourth set and force a fifth-set tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Tien had a match point but Medvedev snuffed it out with an ace. Tien appeared so deflated after the Russian took the set that it felt no surprise when he was outplayed comprehensively in the fourth. However, Tien revealed afterwards that the reason for his poor performance in that penultimate stanza was actually all down to an urgent need for a bathroom break.

"Losing the third set in a tiebreak was tough, I had match point, and it was a little bit disappointing to see a fourth set," explained Tien. "But honestly in that fourth set, I just had to pee so bad, so I was just trying to finish it up fairly quick."

The match was interrupted at 2:30am by a six-minute rain stoppage at the most critical juncture with Tien serving at five-all, 15-all in the decider. When they returned, Medvedev broke to serve for victory at 6-5, but Tien went for broke against the overly conservative Russian, breaking back immediately and then, after trailing 6-4 in the match breaker, taking victory two hours after his first match point.

"I've no idea what time it is but I'm sure it's really late. Thanks you guys for staying out here," smiled Tien, after winning six of the last seven points and watching Medvedev float one final return over the baseline that sealed his fate.

"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," shrugged Tien later, as he chomped on a pepperoni pizza as his early-hours reward. "It [the pizza] was either going to be celebratory or a binge-y, like, cope. It feels better it's more celebratory, for sure.