NEW DELHI: Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who was the runner-up last year’s at the Australian Open, on Thursday suffered a stunning second-round exit, losing to 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien in a dramatic upset at Melbourne Park.
Making his Australian Open debut, the American teenager, ranked 121st in the world, shocked Medvedev with a thrilling 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (8/10), 1-6, 7-6 (10/7) win.
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Left-handed Tien, from California, celebrated the biggest triumph of his burgeoning career on Margaret Court Arena at nearly 3:00 a.m.
He will face France’s Corentin Moutet in the next round.
The marathon match, lasting four hours and 48 minutes, was marked by relentless action and a brief rain delay near the end.
Tien had already made an impression in the first round, defeating Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets for his first Grand Slam victory in four attempts.
For Medvedev, the defeat capped a disappointing campaign. The 28-year-old former world number one, who has reached three of the last four Australian Open finals — including a 2024 loss to Jannik Sinner — exited with uncharacteristic errors and frustration. His struggles this season were evident in his first-round match, where he required five sets to overcome 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej, smashing his racquet and a net camera in the process.
Against Tien, Medvedev initially displayed composure but faltered as the match progressed. The young American seized the first set in 47 minutes and showcased his resilience during a 32-shot rally in the eighth game.
In the second set tie-break, Medvedev’s frustrations peaked as a double foot fault contributed to his loss of the set.
The third set saw Medvedev save match point with a clutch ace and eventually secure the tie-break to stay alive. He then dominated the fourth set, seemingly regaining control, and appeared poised for a comeback as Tien showed signs of fatigue.
However, Tien dug deep in the final set, finding renewed energy to battle Medvedev.
The pair traded early breaks before rain briefly interrupted play at 5-5, 15-all on Tien’s serve. The match culminated in a 10-point tie-break, where Tien held his nerve to close out the contest and complete the upset.
