Sonego held off Tien’s revelation in playing his first Grand Slam quarterfinals

The Italian Lorenzo Sonego concluded the young and debutant American Studying Tien and reached, for the first time in his career, the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam, at the Australian Open.

The transalpine player won in four sets (6-3, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-1) against the North American, who came from the previous stage and was heavily punished, who fought the European tennis player within two hours and 24 minutes, which was the seventh time he competed in the first Grand Slam of the season.

The sixth Italian in history to be among the eight survivors of Melbourne joins his compatriot Jannik Sinnerwho minutes before sealed his presence in this section by defeating Dane Holger Rune to ensure that for the second time in history more than one player from Italy will be present in the quarterfinal in Australia. The previous one was three years ago, when Sinner and Mateo Berrettini They remained contenders for victory in this second week.

Ranked 55th in the ATP rankings, Sonego did not give the young Tien, one of the sensations of the tournament, an option, lacking the surprise factor that improved in the third set, when he closed the gap on the scoreboard but could not extend . the fight. Sonego regained control and clearly won the fourth to seal the victory.

Sonego, who has twenty aces and 57 winners, will play in the quarterfinals with the winner of the match between the French. Gael Monfils and the American Ben Shelton.

It ended a historic day for Italian tennis player Lorenzo Sonego, 30 years old in May, who in 2024 won his fourth title by conquering Winston Salem. Tien, at 19 years and 55 days, was aiming to become the youngest Australian to reach the quarterfinals since 1989, when Croatian Goran Ivanisevic achieved it at 17 years and 138 days.