Medvedev expects ‘long, brutal’ rematch with Tien after 3am finish

The last time Daniil Medvedev and Learner Tien met at the Australian Open, they played a five-set thriller that went for four hours and 48 minutes before Tien claimed victory just before 3am.

On Friday, Medvedev recovered from two sets down to win 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan and book himself a rematch with Tien in the fourth round on Sunday.

When Medvedev was two sets down against Marozsan, he looked at the big screen above Margaret Court Arena which displayed the name of the winner’s next round opponent: Tien.

“[I thought] If I win this one, it’s going to be five sets,” he said. “It’s going to be very tough, and then I have Learner. But it’s OK. The most important, as I said, is to win this match. Then the next one is Learner.

“The thing is that I kind of don’t like to play him, but he must hate to play me as well. All our matches, I was serving for the match or something. It’s long, brutal rallies.”

Tien, a teenager when he last met Medvedev in Australia, had trudged into press conference at 4am with a pizza box in hand after winning the biggest match of his career. He eventually lost to Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round.

Speaking after his straightforward 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Portugal’s Nuno Borges on Friday, Tien recalled the brutality of that match 12 months ago.

“I was really tired. Obviously, really happy. I remember my leg was hurting really bad,” he said.

“But yeah, I remember just being really happy. I don’t know, my mind was in a million places, but mostly happy.”

The American has progressed a lot in the past year, and is now the world No.29. He’s had one other win over Medvedev since the Open last year due to retirement, but the Russian won the last match they played in Shanghai.

“We’ve played three times. I mean, all of them have been wars. I think he served for the match all three times,” Tien said.

“I think we both make a lot of balls. We both don’t give up too many free points. I think naturally that makes the rallies very long, games very long.

“We both don’t make it easy on our opponents. So, naturally, we’re not making it easy on each other. We both have to work very hard for points and games. I think matches just kind of drag out.”

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz continued his hunt for the career slam, defeating France’s Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 to book himself a fourth round meeting with American Tommy Paul.

Paul has beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, but not since 2023. However, Alcaraz’s past three wins against the American have been on a grass or clay court.

“It’s always an interesting match-up,” Paul said. “Always a great challenge playing Carlos. He can really do anything on the court. Lightning fast. I mean, he’s like the standard that everyone’s trying to catch up to right now.

“But you got to go into that with excitement, be ready to face that, be ready to bring your best level, believe in yourself.

“That’s something that I bring to the table every time I play Carlos. I believe I can win every time I go out there. Without that, you’re going out there with no purpose.”

In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka battled to get passed Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, but managed to get the job done in straight sets after two tense tie-breaks.

Sabalenka will play Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the fourth round.

“That was a tough match. Played really incredible tennis. I don’t know. I was just trying to stay there. I was trying to fight,” Sabalenka said.

“I’m super happy with my mentality today on the match. I think the only thing I got today on the court, the only thing that really helped me to get the win.”

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