In front of a packed crowd at Stowe Stadium, 17-year-old Learner Tien became a two-time champion of the Boys’ Nationals 18 & under tournament, defeating 10 seed Trevor Svajda in straight sets. As the defending champion and the #1 seed, Tien was the heavy favorite coming into the match. Tien set the tone early, completing a picture-perfect first set, winning 6-0. In the second, Tien broke at 2-2, riding his break to win the set 6-4. The onslaught continued as Tien broke Svajda to open the third set, making the prospects of a comeback grim. However, Svajda broke back to even the score at 3-3. In a rare occurrence in boys' tennis, Svajda and Tien Svajda traded 3 more breaks to bring the score to 5-4. Tien ended the streak of breaks, serving out the match, winning the final set 6-4. Tien dominated this year’s tournament, only dropping one singles set in Kalamazoo. Tien is the 9th player to win back-to-back 18 & under titles since the Boys’ Nationals moved to Kalamazoo in 1943. Next year, Tien will have the opportunity to achieve the first-ever 18 & under three-peat. As champion, Tien will receive a wildcard bid into the US Open main draw later this month.

Source: Quincy Sells