Sunday’s Australian Open action delivered a seismic shift as American wildcard Learner Tien demolished Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 to storm into the quarterfinals. The 25th seed’s masterclass left the 11th-ranked Russian reeling, marking Tien’s breakthrough moment on the Grand Slam stage.
What began as a balanced first set spiraled into domination. Tien’s second-set bagel ignited an 11-game streak, suffocating Medvedev’s comeback attempts. Despite a third-set rally, the Russian couldn’t overcome Tien’s pinpoint returns or his own serving woes—winning a mere 33% of second-serve points.
Clocking just over an hour, the match highlighted Tien’s rising prowess against a top-10 foe. Medvedev’s prompt elimination stands as one of his earliest in recent first-Slam campaigns.
Next up for Tien: a high-stakes quarterfinal against third-seeded Alexander Zverev.
The day wasn’t all upsets for fans Down Under. Alex de Minaur, world No. 6, electrified the crowd with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Alexander Bublik. Repeating last year’s feat, de Minaur now braces for Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed who dispatched Tommy Paul.