Tien’s milestone win didn’t come easily on Thursday, as the big-serving Walton pushed him to the brink in both sets.
The first set stayed entirely on serve, and things were initially neck-and-neck in the first set tie-break, too, as Walton inched ahead 3-2—but Tien caught fire just at the right time, winning the last five points in a row to run away with it. He finished the set off with back-to-back winners, first a backhand return winner and then a huge forehand down the line to close it out.
Walton got the first break of the match in the first game of the second set, but Tien broke right back and the two traded holds again all the way to the tie-break, where this time Walton had two set points—he unluckily mis-hit a forehand on his first one at 6-5, then Tien clubbed a crosscourt forehand winner on his second one at 8-7. Tien ultimately closed the match out on his third match point after Walton mis-hit a forehand wide.
It was the American’s first career win at Indian Wells.
