American youngster Learner Tien strikes again to eliminate Daniil Medvedev from Australian Open

Nightmares of the past have come back to shatter Daniil Medvedev's dreams of winning the Australian Open, falling short in straight sets to Learner Tien.

It was a story that stunned the tennis world just 12 months ago at Melbourne Park and it has unfolded again, only this time it did not take over five hours for a result.

Tien proved to be too strong for the world No.11 on Sunday night, claiming a 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 win over Medvedev in front of a stacked crowd at Margaret Court Arena.

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Tien has wasted no time stamping his mark on the professional tour in recent years, most notably defeating his most recent rival in a five-set epic in Australia in 2025.

When it came to meeting Medvedev again in Melbourne, Tien made sure to come out firing and set the tone for what all watching on should expect from his performance.

Tien needed just one hour and 39 minutes to ensure he would be heading to the quarter finals, despite having a hand full of tests - including an early nosebleed - in the first set.

As the second set began, it became clear the Medvedev's 125-match record of never losing a set 6-0 in the grand slam arena could under threat by Tien.

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It did not take much longer on the court for Tien to ensure that record would fall.

"Medvedev is smiling over here like, 'I have no clue how to disrupt this' ... it's not that he is not playing well, he is just getting outplayed," former American player Ryan Harrison said in commentary on Nine.

Australian great Wally Masur added: "Daniil will not go quietly ... he is a little lost."

The young American did not slow down as the match continued, punching a 4-0 lead onto the scoreboard in the third set before the clock had even hit the 90-minute mark.

Masur then urged all players who were watching on in the locker rooms to keep an eye on the talent and success of Tien in the future.

"People are going to see this score in the locker room and think Daniil is just fatigued from his last match - he's not. He is just being beaten," he said.

"This kid is going to be good for the sport, Learner Tien."

Still, despite a late comeback from Medvedev, it was Tien who claimed victory.

The win makes him the youngest player in the men's singles to reach the quarter finals at a major tournament since Australia's Nick Kyrgios did in 2015. Better yet, he is the youngest American to reach that stage in the grand slam arena since 2002.

"It feels amazing," Tien said of his win in his post-match interview.

"It is so special to do it here … this has been a big goal for me this year.

"Every year the crowd support has been amazing. It just means the world for me to come here and do this."

Medvedev did not shy away from the fact that he could not "manage to rival" the level of Tien during the match, conceding he knows he could have done much better.

"He played too good for me today," he said at his post-match press conference.

"Could I do better? I mean, you can always do better if you lose with a scoreline like I did. But I felt that he had probably had the match of his life. He had a good match.

"I don't manage to rival his level and that's why I lost. There is nothing I can change.

"I tried to disturb his level that he had ... it was a small chance. I didn't find many solutions today on the court, which is rare. I don't feel like that many times in my life.

"Until the last point, I was trying to fight. Then the last point, that was not for me this time ... these things can happen. He had an unbelievable match."

Tien's time on the court is only going to get harder the further he goes on at Melbourne Park, with his next challenge set to be world No.3 Alexander Zverev.

"It is going to be a super tough match," Tien admitted.

"I got him the first time he played and then the second time he beat me pretty badly. It is going to be a challenge but I am looking forward to it."

As most winners at the end of each match during the tournament do, a chance to sign or write message to the fans on a designated camera before they leave the court is their first stop after their on-court interview.

Tien opted to write a message to Medvedev on his departure.

"Hopefully not same time next year," he wrote.