Medvedev stunned by teen qualifier Tien in Melbourne marathon

In a stunning upset, last year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev was eliminated in the Australian Open second round by 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien in a gripping five-set thriller that ended close to 3:00 am on 17 January.

The American, ranked 121 in the world, overcame the former world number one 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (8/10), 1-6, 7-6 (10/7) after four hours and 48 minutes of intense action at Margaret Court Arena.

Competing in his debut Australian Open, Tien claimed the biggest victory of his career and now faces France's Corentin Moutet in the third round. Reflecting on the marathon match, Tien admitted, "Honestly, it hasn't really set in yet. I'm just pretty happy to be off the court. I don't think I've ever played a match that long or spent that much time on a tennis court straight. Obviously, I'm really happy, but it hasn't fully hit me yet."

The Californian left-hander had already made headlines by securing his first-ever Grand Slam victory in the opening round, where he defeated Argentina's Camilo Ugo Carabelli in another gruelling five-set encounter.

Tien remarked, "These are my first two five-setters. It's nice to feel that I can play these more physical matches and get through them."

For Medvedev, the defeat was a bitter blow. The 28-year-old Russian, who has been a finalist in three of the last four Australian Open tournaments, was unable to recover from early lapses despite a spirited fightback.

His struggles in Melbourne this year began with a challenging five-set opener against 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej, during which he vented frustration by smashing both his racquet and a net camera.

Against Tien, Medvedev started composedly but soon faltered. The young American clinched the opening set in 47 minutes and demonstrated his resilience in a 32-shot rally during the second set.

Tien edged the second-set tie break, capitalising on a double foot fault from Medvedev to take a commanding two-set lead.

Medvedev narrowly avoided defeat in the third set, saving match point with an ace before winning the tie break on his third attempt. He carried that momentum into the fourth set, dominating to force a decider.

Tien appeared drained in the final set, but he dug deep to match Medvedev. After exchanging breaks early on, the contest was briefly interrupted by a passing shower at 5-5, 15-all on Tien's serve.

The match culminated in a 10-point tie break, where Tien held his nerve to secure the victory on his second match point.