Citi Open: Tien books spot in last 16, defeating Rublev
Learner Tien won against Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday and will play the winner of the match between No 12 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jaume Munar in the next round
Julien Nouet/TennisMajors
American Learner Tien beat Russian Andrey Rublev, the No 5 seed, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the last 16 of the Citi Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington on Wednesday.
The victory marks one of the most impressive performances of Tien’s budding career and highlights his growing prowess on hard courts. Tien continues what has rapidly become a breakthrough 2025 season.
The 19-year-old American has now claimed multiple wins over top-10 opponents, beginning with a stunning upset of Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open in January (6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(7)), earning his first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
He followed that up in Acapulco with another marquee win, defeating world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in straight sets, (6-3, 6-4).
Tien : “keep cool in key moments”
Speaking after the match, Tien expressed stated he simply aimed to “play aggressive and keep cool in key moments”, which he did.
The seasoned No. 10 in the world had competed deep into Wimbledon and recently reached the semifinals in Los Cabos, raising questions about possible fatigue entering Washington. He later admitted that he “felt the legs weren’t fresh tonight,” suggesting his intense schedule may have played a role in the outcome.
Tien, ranked No 67, will play the winner of the match between No 12 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jaume Munar next. The 19-year-old American won against wildcard Emilio Nava (6-1, 6-4) ahead of his victory.
Washington ATP 500, other second-round results (William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, hard, USD 2.396.115, most recent results first):
- Aleksandar Kovacevic vs. Frances Tiafoe
- Flavio Cobolli vs. Yoshihito Nishioka: wednesday
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Jaume Munar: wednesday
- Taylor Fritz (1) beat Aleksandar Vukic: 6-3, 6-2
- Alex De Minaur (7) beat Yunchaokete Bu: 7-6 (5), 6-2
- Matteo Arnaldi beat Lorenzo Sonego (16): 7-5, 7-5
- Daniil Medvedev (8) beat Reilly Opelka: 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
- Jiri Lehecka (11) beat Zachary Svajda (Q): 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3
- Yibing Wu (Q) beat Alexei Popyrin (10): 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
- Corentin Moutet (LL) beat Alexandre Muller: 6-0, 6-1
- Daniel Evans (WC) beat Alex Michelsen (13): 6-4, 6-4
- Ben Shelton (4) beat Mackenzie McDonald (WC): 6-3, 6-4
- Gabriel Diallo (15) beat Fabian Marozsan: 6-3, 6-4
- Cameron Norrie beat Lorenzo Musetti (2): 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
- Brandon Nakashima (14) beat Ethan Quinn (WC): 6-3, 6-4
