Does he hold his own?

The young American is climbing higher and higher in the rankings and is among the dangerous players every week!

The progress is crazy for Tien, who just keeps improving while playing some great tennis. Everyone can see what he’s capable of, his tennis is unusual in a good way. I do still have a small issue with him when it comes to the content of his matches: it’s the big blackouts he has every time. He always has a set or a few games where he’s completely off before pulling himself together. He’s hard to follow: his serve lets him down, he looks gassed, then suddenly he finds everything again and plays like a top 10 player, his matches are a real puzzle. I think we all agree he plays high-level tennis, but his inconsistency could cost him a lot. I’m curious to see whether his style of play can work in Miami, I don’t get the feeling at first glance that it’s an amazing fit for him.

We’ll use this first round to see where he’s really at, and it’ll be against Majchrzak, who is also hard to follow/figure out. Completely flat and looking like he has no desire to fight for several matches now, he’s also capable of finding that desire again and playing some gorgeous tennis, just like Tien. Skimming shots, clever net play, and a just-as-unusual style—if he’s in form, there’s a good chance we’re in for a treat! He just beat Kecmanovic by putting in an excellent match, really inspired in his offensive game. If he plays the same way tomorrow, he’s got something to say in at least one of the sets. He makes you work hard and for a long time if needed, and since he’s comfortable in the short game, he can go that route too—and all those little things put together are giving me ideas...