Learner Tien vs Seongchan Hong July 26, 2024 (Chicago Men's Challenger)

with four 15K titles and a title at the Challenger level in Bloomfield Hills the young American will serve as we are ready for play in this quarterfinal action in Chicago learner has now moved up to 258 in the [Music] world would be looking for his fourth top 200 win if he's able to pick it up here today the other ones being Benjamin bonsi earlier this week Nicholas Moreno Fairfield last year Ando K in Bloomfield Hills but nice comfortable hold for him me long his 25 years of age comes into the week 180 this is the seventh quarterfinal of the year for Hong looking for his fifth semi-final three finals to his CR it's going to be one of these battles today here where you can you can sense there's going to be that out of the North top of your screen it's going to be two chances here for 10 and just like that to love twoes 3 four winner of that gets scab the allo gab is in the midst of a practice session back behind me after just a little over hour 20 on court love Eric Diaz is with but yeah that's what what kind of intrigued me about this particular somebody who's going to over overwhelmingly dominate him on a court just kind of a good test you know he's going to have a couple of game points gen well it's learner T's World we're all just living in nice really beautiful summer day in Chicago Hong Chan love three [Applause] just 63 first set for Jake Fernley turn things around just like B about SP of four minutes to grab that break and hold smart plate and into the wind with some margin really tell at the EXs tennis Village did Hong this morning grabbed a couple of them on court two droppers and I I like this idea fores game yeah good willingness to move forward take things 50 l [Music] we have seen uh a very high percentage relative I love that that play in with saw that's good thing the other day in Charlie broom just some willingness to run around his backhand to get to the forehand even when he didn't need to so clearly tin and Eric Diaz really put some time into that thought proc that thought process fall to the Fe fing better S ball coming so there's the high back hand that we we saw being an issue it's a great chance here early and this is yeah sloppy juice okay so that's the first time that Hong has decided to run around get to that forehand and might have a little bit more capability Hong obviously that opportunity to get into that ad corner and and flatten out a little bit with that forehand so break chance number two now yeah not the right place so so it's going to be this interesting Dynamic again first time playing each other in in a bit of a sorting out period problem solving going on game point number two here for 10 yeah can't come up with that back hand down the line pushes it just wide after coming up with a shot from the tukas 10 again just extremely patient and waiting for that opportunity [Applause] to yeah this is the kind of probing game um that I expected from Hong early in this smart play yeah that's a great decision there a rare Serv and volley out of out of larner into the wind from Hong that does the damage third chance this time converts so 32 we get back on serve we are Midway through the first here at the Chicago men's challenger but I don't think that hung his net not trying to do too much just explore angles right now learn your [Applause] ready old you know listen Hong gets that point but I I don't like that tin couldn't offensively execute himself J like I said we've seen so many Miss [Applause] all right definitely wasn't long couldn't tell about couldn't tell about why I about but it looks like it might have been one of those well this definitely has the feel four or five steps ahead here Advantage this early in the match break point once again for 10 that's incredible touch very smart play taking advantage of where t is returning from right here so another how many overheads are we going to have missed here in this match that's three already and a game point for well finally Hong is able to get us level at three games all fighting off the okay enough yeah that definitely has kind of settled into a few patterns of who's able to exploit that basty creative thoughtful and and learner he's listen he's done this to get to three all potentially 43 here 14 so again despite that struggle with the serve learner T well with the new balls in his pocket it is Hong song Chan who's the one who has to deal with the scoreboard pressure here in the first in at 34 love that is again so crafty and and creative exploring those angles once again this is just 14 three looks 14 three looks for lunner 10 who is one of three so far for lunner 10 who is one of three so far 15 14 yeah and this is what Ken has done to so many different people he just makes you feel like you have L be they just saying he needs to kind of tweak that serve a little bit get that percentage up to the 60% range [Applause] full to the couple of set points h game in Lear n Chen another set to the good on tour needs to put in another couple of hours here serving to start the second it's well done yeah so it's you know this re you know kind of favor players who are able to dictate early in points so it's this battle of of trying to stay p made him hit one more ball but even the yeah that had to be better um and he gets smacked around and pays the price and love the thought process love the result as well I mean this is near fatal stuff right now for H get him smart decision that 50 50 kn you long percentage above 45 look out look out world jinxed him well done yep five straight games two games fa enough I keep going back to it here I mean what 16 17 that that stretch is that right yeah that runs 16 through 20 uh to not have a bad day or even on your bad days to survive it like he's serving poorly today this is a a bad serving performance from learner 10 look at the score you know Mayo the other day the the backand specifically the contact point was was all over the place from that backand it was creating a lot of erors there he is at the finish line and and that's what is I think the most remarkable thing about this have something wrong in your game knowing how to win in those days I it's really things you can't teach and that's why I think people are so excited hand motions as if to say he needs to step into the court more and as I say that he immediately takes about eight steps backward to 10 ft behind the Baseline but I think immediately takes about 8 steps backward to 10 ft behind the Baseline but I think I think he right that that thought process right be more offensive be more aggressive take some of these balls a little bit earlier ultimately what he's saying is he has to disrupt tian's timing at this stage and and really get him FY love G well yeah time starting to run very thin pressing he is very clearly pressing though more aggressive has to be frankly better [Applause] love love for three chances 15 [Applause] 14 that's 14 on the Move learner Tien has done it again on his third try grabs the brain 4 one here yeah I mean listen let's let's sell out into aggression and on on top of it I mean he's not going to win this match at this stage from 10 feet behind the Baseline not how he tried to make an adjustment in the last give him credit for that full sellout into nothing but attacking the backand as everything going Learners away there's nothing left to lose at this stage learner that is filthy that's not even right that's [Music] mean get serving at 15 thank he [Music] LEL come on I think I might have just seen learner chin smile for the first time on course some damage there 15 1 couple of match points 14 10 H tried to finish with style and class [Applause] I got the one [Applause] I mean quite a thing Match Point number three vage in [Applause] [Music] juice h listen you know we we've kind of it's too good to just give him opportunities to strike the ball that clean it is learner 10's World we're all just living in it the win streak hits 28 in incredible fashion