Fairfield, October 8, 2024: Top-ranked Learner Tien eased past Gonzalo Olivera with a 6-2, 6-2 victory to secure his spot in the Round of 16 at Taube/Kennedy-Grossman Solano Challenger on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old American from Irvine was surrounded with ball kids and fans eager for an autograph after the match and said he’s “feeling pretty good” and hopes to make a run at the tournament.
“I’d say I’m in a pretty good place right now,” he said. “I didn’t feel the best physically last week but this week I feel much better. In fact, I feel pretty good.” Tien (148) made it to the semifinals at Tiburon last week before losing to American Eliot Spizzirri (301) 7-6(6), 6(3)-7, 6-2.
Hot temperatures continued Tuesday but Tien said he felt OK throughout the match.
It was a bit hotter this week than last week (in Tiburon) but I thought I managed it pretty well,” he said, adding that a small breeze on Tuesday was a welcomed relief. “The breeze helped a little bit but there wasn’t much at the beginning of the set but it definitely came in pretty nicely in the second set so it felt pretty good.”
The NextGenATP star has earned his first two Challenger titles this year in Bloomfield, Michigan, and Las Vegas. He won the 2022 USTA Boys 18s Championship and earned a wild card to the U.S. Open, making him the youngest player to compete in the main draw since Donald Young did so at 16.
Also moving forward to the Round of 16 is wildcard qualifier Max Basing, 22, (GBR) who defeated fellow Brit Jack Pinnington Jones 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. It was his fourth match in as many days. Basing, a senior at Stanford, was in the tournament after winning a wildcard qualifier on Saturday at Green Valley over Cal senior Derrick Chen, 6-2, 7-5. He then had to beat Colton Smith of the United States 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Sunday and on Monday defeated Michigan State sophomore star Ozan Baris 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-3.
Others joining the Round of 16 include:
From Tuesday’s action: Dmitry Popko (175) (KAZ) who defeated Aidan Mayo (326) (USA) 6-3,3-6.6-4; Brandon Holt (206) (USA) who defeated Murphy Cassone (631) (USA) 7-6(5), 7-5; Tristan Schoolkate (169) (AUS) who defeated Bruno Kuzuhara (430) (USA) 6-3, 6-4; Patrick Kypson (184) (USA) who defeated Bor Artnak (385) (SLO) 6-1, 6-3; Bernard Tomic (233) (AUS) who defeated Max Wiskandt (521) (GER) 7-6(6), 7-6(5); Ethan Quinn (235) (USA) who defeated Carl Overbeck (968) (SWZ) 6-3, 6-0; Eliot Spizzirri (301) (USA) who defeated Trey Hilderbrand (165) (USA) 6-3, 3-1 (with Hilderbrand retirement); Ryan Seggerman (392) (USA) who defeated Gabi Boitan (357) (ROM) 7-5,7-5; Rudy Quan (797) (USA) who defeated Guy Den Ouden (274) (NLD) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Alexi Zakharov (317) (RUS) who defeated Micah Braswell (607) (USA) .6-3, 6-2.
From Monday’s action: Alexis Gularneau (249) (CAN) who defeated J.J. Wolf (171) (USA) 7-6(2) and 6-4; Edas Butvilas (261) (LITH) who defeated Remy Bertola (294) (SWIZ) 6-3, 6-2; Kiranpal Pannu (467) (NZ) defeated Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc (752) (FRA) 6-1, 6-4; and Toby Kodat (377) (USA) who defeated Nicolas Mejia (240) (COL) 6-4,2-6,6-2.
The Round of 16 matches begin Wednesday along with the Round of 16 Doubles matches. Order of play for Wednesday is:
TAD TAUBE COURT (start 10 a.m.)
K. Pannu (NZL) vs A. Galarneau (CAN) followed by (not before noon) L. Tien (USA) vs T. Kodat (USA), followed by E. Butvilas (LTU) vs [5] P. Kypson (USA), and then (after appropriate rest, doubles R. Seggerman (USA) / P. Trhac (USA) vs T. Kodat (USA) / A. Martin (USA)
EVE ZIMMERMAN COURT (start 10 a.m.)
Doubles Z. Fuchs (USA) / W. Thayne (USA) vs P. Harper (AUS) / M. Kiger (USA), followed by singles B. Tomic (AUS) vs [Q] M. Basing (GBR), followed after appropriate rest by doubles K. Pannu (NZL) / K. Smith (USA) vs [2] C. Puttergill (AUS) / L. Saville (AUS) and then, after appropriate rest, doubles M. Basing (GBR) / H. Parikh (USA) vs D. Popko (KAZ) / A. Zakharov
KENNEDY-GROSSMAN COURT (start 10 a.m.)
Doubles G. Oliveira (VEN) / K. Stevenson (CAN) vs K. Pearson (AUS) / J. Sheehy (USA) followed by R. Cash (USA) / J. Tracy (USA) vs M. Daniell (NZL) / H. Hach Verdugo (MEX), followed by T. Hilderbrand (USA) / A. Lawson (USA) vs G. Roveri Sidney (BRA) / T. Whiting (USA), and then, after appropriate rest C. Langmo (USA) / B. Tomic (AUS) vs G. Boitan (ROU) / B. Kuzuhara (USA)
For more information on the tournament, visit SolanoChallenger.com
Comments