Learnen Tien made a double celebration of his first-round Rome Masters win. A teen defeated fellow American Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-6 in an hour and 48 minutes, celebrating his first Masters 1000 win and his first ATP triumph on clay.
The youthful American trailed 4-2 within the opening set earlier than rattling off 4 video games. Opelka saved a match level within the tenth sport of the second set and wasted three set factors in a tie break, shedding it 13-11 and propelling his rival excessive.
Learnen took 11 factors greater than Reilly. A teen served at 49% and sprayed six double faults. He saved 4 of six break factors and prevailed within the pivotal moments to brig the victory residence. Opelka misplaced 39% of the factors in his video games and suffered three breaks.
Reilly Opelka, Rome 2025© Stream screenshot
Tien tamed his strokes properly and hit 11 winners and 15 unforced errors. Reilly landed 19 direct factors however sprayed 49 errors, lacking equally from each wings. Learnen hit extra service winners and cast a large hole from the baseline.
Opelka decreased it with a nice efficiency on the web, though it was not sufficient to increase the battle and his possibilities. The extra skilled participant clinched a break within the first sport of the match after a fortunate web twine winner.
Reilly offered three snug holds and led 4-2 earlier than dealing with points in sport eight. The large server hit a double fault, dropping serve and permitting his opponent to return to the constructive aspect. Tien took cost and landed a return winner at 5-4 for 3 set factors.
Learnen Tien, Rome 2025© Stream screenshot
He seized the second after Opelka's double fault, wrapping up the opener 6-4 in 35 minutes. Like within the opener, Reilly clinched a break within the first sport of the second set after a free forehand from a left-hander. He denied a break level within the second sport and made one other push on the return within the subsequent one.
Tien denied two break factors and held to stay inside one break deficit. The youthful American broke again at love in sport 4 after a routine backhand error from the opposite aspect. They served nicely within the subsequent 5 video games, and Reilly wanted one other nice maintain at 4-5.
Learnen Tien & Reilly Opelka, Rome 2025© Stream screenshot
He confronted a match level and denied it with a strong serve for extra drama. The set went right into a tie break, and so they embraced an exciting one! Learnen led 5-0 earlier than Reilly rattled off six factors, transferring 6-5 in entrance with a backhand down the road winner.
Tien saved it with a nice assault and missed a match level at 7-6 after Opelka's excellent drop shot winner. The extra skilled participant clocked a 223 km/h serve for 8-7 and his second set level. A teen saved it with a service winner and created one other match level at 9-8.
Reilly Opelka, Rome 2025© Stream screenshot
Reilly saved it with a service winner for 9-9 and extra drama. He landed a service winner for 10-9 and his third set level. Tien denied it with a nice assault and earned his fourth match level. Opelka saved it with an ace, locking the end result at 11-11.
Nevertheless, he performed a horrible smash within the twenty third level and confronted the fifth match level. Reilly missed a forehand, permitting Learnen to seal the deal and ebook his place within the second spherical.