Learner Tien Comes Of Age On The Big Stage

There was a moment in Sunday’s 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 win over Ben Shelton that demonstrated the essence of Learner Tien’s capacities.

The 20-year-old took Shelton’s fastest serve of the afternoon, a 144 MPH rocket off the racquet, and casually floated it into the corner of the court, disrupting Shelton’s attack and eventually creating an opportunity to seal a critical break of serve.

The Irvine, California native doesn’t overpower his opponents, but he sure does outwit them.

“This guy has amazing feel and the ability to create angles,” said Jim Courier, four-time major champion who commentated the match on Tennis Channel on Sunday. “When you are not oversized and you can’t hit through people, you have to hit around them, and that’s what Learner Tien has been doing his whole tennis life.”

So far the World No. 27’s second appearance in Tennis Paradise has been a lot like his last year on tour: wildly impressive.

Tien broke out on tour at last year’s Australian Open when he upset Daniil Medvedev in five hard-fought sets. It was his first Top 5 win and it left the former World No. 1 impressed.

Medvedev and Tien have since met three more times, with Tien winning three of four in total.

“I played him four times now, and in a way every match was different,” Medvedev said this week. “But the way he manages to control the court, to control the point to his favor is really impressive.”

Medvedev’s not the only one who is high on the rising talent. Tommy Paul defeated Tien last month in a tight tussle in Delray Beach, but he too was wowed by the clever tennis that the southpaw plays.

“I was super impressed with Learner when I played him in Delray Beach,” Paul said. “I think anybody who plays Learner, he's going to make them work very hard, and I think he's only getting better. I think something in that match that I saw was his forehand down the line was a serious weapon, and he served very well. I think if he can lock down those two shots, he's going to be a serious force.”

Coached by fellow Southern Californian Michael Chang, the sky is the limit for Tien, who is still relatively new to the ATP Tour and very much a work in progress.

“I think he’s a very special individual,” his coach Michael Chang told ATPTour.com this week. “He thinks a lot more than most players out on the court. He’s very much a fighter that people don’t see until they get into the thick of it with him.”

Even Andre Agassi has raved about Tien.

"He has learned the game phenomenally well. He is incredibly gifted, not just with his game, but with his mind," said Agassi last year at an event in Hong Kong. "He has to overcome certain physical limitations versus other guys, as far as size and strength, but he's still so young.”

Speaking of size and strength, Tien did manage to outace Shelton, who is one of the biggest servers in the men’s game, 15 to eight during Sunday's victory.

“In general, I think my serve has improved,” Tien said after improving to 6-5 lifetime against the Top 10 and becoming the youngest American man to reach the round of 16 in the California desert since 2012.

With each passing victory, it becomes apparent that Tien is not just a smart player with limited weapons. He's the complete package.

The American will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

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