Rising star Learner Tien stuns ailing Ben Shelton to reach fourth round
Learner Tien defeated Ben Shelton 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday night and will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Learner Tien, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Learner Tien secured a career-defining victory by upsetting world No 8 Ben Shelton in a three-set battle at Indian Wells. He prevailed 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round for the first time in his career.
The world No 27 demonstrated remarkable maturity while navigating a match defined by erratic serving and shifting momentum. He eventually outlasted his compatriot in a contest that highlighted his exceptional record against elite competition.
Tien, the giant-killER
As Tien has now won six of his 11 career matches against top-five opponents, he enters the next phase as a serious threat to the remaining seeds.
“Even when he is not at his best, his serve is still incredible,” Tien admitted while reflecting on the challenge posed by an obviously struggling Shelton. He noted that the world No 8’s forehand remained dangerous during several firing moments of the match. “Nerves definitely played a role and I feel like I was missing some shots that maybe I usually wouldn’t.”
The defining element of the result was Tien’s resilience during the final set. While Shelton struggled with apparent illness, he attempted to shorten points by hitting his groundstrokes significantly harder and utilizing frequent drop shots.
However, Tien remained disciplined and secured the decisive break at 3-2 in the decider. Remarkably, this was one of only two service breaks in the entire match. Despite recording 10 double faults, Tien’s ability to protect his lead ensured the upset.
Tien overcomes Shelton’s aggressive gamble
The match opened with a tightly contested first set that favored Tien’s consistent baseline depth. Shelton, looking to conserve energy, attacked every ball and hit five times more drop shots than his seasonal average. This aggressive gamble pushed the set into a tiebreak where Tien’s steady counterpunching prevailed.
Shelton responded by taking the second set, yet he could not sustain the physical intensity required to stop the 25th seed in the third. The victory sets up a third-round encounter against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No 18 seed, who defeated Czech Jakub Mensik, the No 12 seed, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
