Day One at Wimbledon was sunny and hot, but with the occasional respite of a cool breeze.
On intimate Court 6, where fans watch courtside, you’re reminded just how easy professional tennis players play, how smooth.
Especially Learner Tien.
The 19-year-old lefty from Irvine defeated fellow Californian and friend, 20-year-old right-hander Nishesh Basavareddy from Newport Beach, in straight sets: 7–6 (5), 6–3, 6–2.
Tien, ranked world No. 62, is a wonder to watch. He has a soft pair of hands and a clean way of striking the ball. He makes it look effortless, especially with the way his lefty angles open up the court. And the ball rolls off his racquet with ease.
He also carries himself with calm and clarity. He’s a thoughtful player—a problem solver—which served him well when he fell behind 3-love in the first set.
Photo: Getty
Basavareddy, ranked world No. 100, came out strong with his serve, holding in the first game at love. He crushed groundstrokes and showed terrific touch at the net with several deft drop volleys. It felt like he was going to take the set, leading 5-2.
Tien, though, stayed composed. He held serve, then began working his way back, adjusting the height and depth of his shots, changing speeds. The momentum began to shift. By the time the set reached a tiebreak, Tien had saved five set points and was playing with more control. He won the breaker 7–5, closing it with calmness.
In the second set, Tien became more reliable in the baseline rallies and more aggressive. He continued to frustrate Basavareddy with his variety. He broke at love to lead 2-love, then 3-love, and stayed steady on serve.
In the third set, Tien broke at 1-all at love, held serve, and broke again for a 4-1 lead. At this point, Tien looked full of confidence, and it seemed inevitable that he would win. A lady behind me said of Basavareddy: “Oh dear, think he just wants to go home now.”
I’m not sure if that was true. Basavareddy is also a rising American star playing in the main draw at Wimbledon. But it was a convincing win for Tien.
Up next for Tien, in the second round, is qualifier Nicolas Jarry, who defeated eighth-seeded Holger Rune in five sets.