Tien and Blockx set up Australian Open boys' final showdown
Learner Tien and Alexander Blockx played five matches - two singles and three doubles - in the space of about 30 hours at the business end of the Australian Open Junior Championships.
With three matches won on Thursday, they started their singles semi-finals at midday on Friday, the unflappable Tien the first to finish, beating Poland’s Tomasz Berkieta 6-4 6-2 in just 67 minutes on court 5.
Belgian Blockx, on the adjoining show court 3, took eight minutes longer to overcome the powerful Yi Zhou 6-4 6-1. A heartfelt hug for his opponent at the end was testament to a sterling effort from the Chinese 17-year-old who was forced to call a medical time-out midway through the second set.
“I could see he was tired,” said Blockx with a generosity of spirit.
Blockx and Tien will meet in the boys' singles final at Melbourne Park on Saturday, but Friday lunchtime was only just the beginning.
About two hours later, both boys were back on court to face each other in the final of the boys' doubles, Blockx teaming up with Joao Fonseca, of Brazil, while Tien paired with fellow American Cooper Williams to win 6-4 6-4.
Both finalists have taken everything in their stride.
“I returned to the hotel at 9pm on Thursday,” said Blockx, who is in Melbourne with the head coach of the Belgian tennis federation, Tom Devries, while Phillip Cassiersc - the coach who has been with him for the past 13 years - is back home in Belgium and watching avidly on TV.
“I had a warm down but got to sleep by 11pm. I felt really good in my singles today but I was a bit tired in the doubles. It was really hot.”
He is immensely looking forward to the final on Rod Laver Arena but there will be no rest afterwards as he heads to Korea to team up with the Belgian Davis Cup squad as part of his learning experience (he will be a practice/hitting partner in Seoul.)
Blockx knows junior success doesn’t always translate to a strong professional career but is determined to relish his time in the Rod Laver Arena sunlight - 35 degrees is forecast for Saturday - in his first meeting with Tien.
Learner Tien is bearing up well also. From Irvine in California, he, in an answer unlikely to be beaten this week, reveals that he began playing tennis when he was just one-and-a-half-years-old.
“Mum and dad were recreational players, we had a tennis court behind us. I was able to beat my dad when I was about nine or 10-years-old,” Tien said.
Being a lefty has its advantages, physical and psychological he believes, the ability to change serve patterns and confound right handed players not used to playing someone from his side can be a big plus.
It is his consistency of play though that has served him well this week.
“I try not to make mistakes, I try not to give up a point and if there is the opportunity to capitalise I will.”
Before today the peak of his career came last September when he was given a wildcard by the USTA into the first round of the US Open as a reward for winning the 18- and-under junior national championships a month before the New York major.
“I played the lowest seed - Miomir Kecmanovic - so I didn’t get a very big court.”
Rod Laver Arena on Saturday afternoon will be a very different experience indeed.