#NextGenATP American Learner Tien had never competed in an ATP Tour main draw entering the week. Now the 18-year-old is into the third round of the Winston-Salem Open.
The teen stunned ninth seed Fabian Maroszan 6-2, 6-7(1), 7-6(2) in two hours and nine minutes to advance at the ATP 250 event. The lefty rallied from a break down in the deciding set, took a 5-3 lead and then surged to victory in the tie-break despite failing to serve out the match.
Tien has played the past two main draws of the US Open and will compete in the season’s final major again next week. But for now, he is focused on the task at hand in North Carolina.
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This year’s Bloomfield Hills ATP Challenger Tour champion converted six of his 14 break points according to Infosys ATP Stats to earn his fourth win of the tournament including qualifying. He will next play Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, who ousted eighth seed Nuno Borges 7-6(2), 6-2.
Tien is ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. He could soar as high as fifth if he wins the title this week in Winston-Salem.
[ATP APP]The Californian's friend and fellow #NextGenATP star, Alex Michelsen, also advanced with a 7-6(3), 6-4 triumph against Marton Fucsovics.
Michelsen is pursuing his first ATP Tour title this week. The 19-year-old reached a final last month in Newport and last week pushed World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a tight two-setter.
The third-placed player in the Live Race To Jeddah, Shang Juncheng, earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over seventh seed Mariano Navone. The 19-year-old from China then withdrew due to a lower back injury after his triumph, so 10th seed Lorenzo Sonego, who eliminated Dominic Stricker 6-4, 6-1, advanced to the quarter-finals.
American wild card Christopher Eubanks eased into the third round with a 6-1, 6-4 win against 14th seed Hugo Gaston. Last year’s Mallorca champion won 88 per cent of his first-serve points in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Frenchman.
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