Preview and Prediction
Tien is just 20, but he has been playing wily-veteran tennis at Indian Wells. He’s 4-0 in tiebreakers, and has out-dueled two more experienced opponents, Ben Shelton and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, in three-setters. Against the latter, he saved a match point with the wiliest shot of all: An acutely-angled crosscourt slice forehand pass.
Will that kind of thing be enough against the second-seeded Sinner? Their one previous match seems to say no: Sinner beat Tien 6-2, 6-2 in Beijing last fall. But this is a different court, in a different part of the world. Tien has had the crowd with him in Indian Wells, and likely will again on Thursday.
More important, Tien is a better player than he was then. His serve, once a weakness, can now reach 125 MPH. And while he always had the hands and the mind, he has more oomph behind his smooth swings now.
The thing is, the more oomph you give Sinner, the more he tends to give back. And this may not be the best moment to face him. He’s coming off a tough, two-tiebreaker test from another teen, Joao Fonseca, and may be ready for the same from Tien. Winner: Sinner
