Learner Tien rallies to shock defending champ in Delray Beach: ‘I just kept believing’ | ATP Tour

Delray Seashore

Tien rallies to shock defending champ in Delray Seashore: ‘I simply stored believing’

Prime seed Fritz battles previous #NextGenATP Spaniard Jodar

February 20, 2026

Learner Tien was not prepared for his Delray Beach Open to come back to an finish.

The 20-year-old was two factors from defeat towards defending champion Miomir Kecmanovic — who served for the match at 5-4 within the deciding set — however rallied for a 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) victory and a spot within the quarter-finals.

“I simply stored believing,” Tien mentioned in his on-court interview. “I bought damaged on type of a nasty recreation at 4 all, however simply tried to place that behind me as greatest I might, and simply made him beat me.”

Kecmanovic confirmed no indicators of nerves when he served for the match, hammering away from the baseline and placing constant stress on the house favorite. However Tien performed nice defence, turning right into a brick wall on the most crucial second.

As soon as the reigning Subsequent Gen ATP Finals champion retrieved the break, he was in a position to surge to the end line and take a 2-1 lead within the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence.

“I bought a bit of fortunate. I feel luck at all times performs a bit of little bit of a task,” Tien mentioned. “However I feel simply combating, simply staying in there each level, and actually making him shut me out, I feel [that] simply paid off.”

Tien is recent off a run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the place he beat a former No. 1 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, Daniil Medvedev, and pushed Alexander Zverev to a fourth-set tie-break. The lefty will subsequent tackle Frances Tiafoe, who gained the primary ATP Tour title of his profession in Delray Seashore in 2018.

“I performed him within the first spherical of the [US] Open a couple of years in the past. Clearly he is a very totally different participant,” Tiafoe mentioned. “I am excited to stand up and play him. It is humorous how issues flip. Now I am the underdog in that match, so I am pleased to get on the market and play towards him.”

The eighth-seeded Tiafoe clawed previous qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to succeed in his first quarter-final since July of final 12 months.

“I am simply pleased to be competing. It feels good competing,” Tiafoe mentioned. “It is good to place some matches collectively. Glad I get to play one other match tomorrow. It’ll be one other powerful opponent, so excited to get on the market and compete.”

Prime seed Taylor Fritz additionally battled by means of a troublesome take a look at, eliminating #NextGenATP Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6(4), 6-4 within the final match of the day. The house favorite hit 15 aces and saved two of the three break factors he confronted, in keeping with Infosys ATP Stats.

Fritz has proven good kind since returning to america, advancing to the Dallas semi-finals final week. The 2023 and 2024 Delray Seashore champion will proceed his title chase towards shut pal Tommy Paul, a 7-6(11), 6-3 winner towards fortunate loser Adam Walton.

Watch prolonged highlights from Thursday’s motion in Delray Seashore: