Another tough test for Tien?

Learner barely made it through against Mensik...

Indeed, it was anything but easy for Tien. He was slightly fortunate to win the first set, and in hindsight, it was absolutely crucial. Because Mensik would be the dominant player for the next two and a half sets. Tien was a break down in the fourth set, but managed to raise his level, combined with Mensik having a bit of a dip. From there on, the American was able to be the steadier player, with the Czech's legs starting to fade. Tien was able to stay solid and grab the win late in the fifth set. In that match, Tien was not able to consistently wear down or pressure Mensik; instead, he was the one who was getting rushed quite often. He struggled to handle Mensik's first serves and also got punished a bit on his own weaker serve, getting returns straight back at his feet. As for Khachanov, it's been a very good run so far. Both Burruchaga and Bonzi did not stand a chance against him; he's been a wall from the baseline.

In a way, this match shares some similarities with the one Tien just played. He will be facing another tall player with a pretty good serve who is solid from the baseline. Khachanov's first serve is not as lethal as Mensik's, but he is steadier on his second serve. I would also say that he is a bit more solid than Mensik, and a lot more rhythmic. While the Czech would look to pull the trigger on backhands down the line and also make his way to the net, Khachanov is someone who tends to play more traditional patterns, and he is also a bit more glued to the baseline. Normally, Khachanov tends to be kind of good against these "lighter" profiles, since he is the one who can dictate... however, I'm wondering if Tien will be able to take control of the rallies... even if he can't hit winners regularly, can he move Khachanov around the court? That's crucial, since otherwise Karen will push him back deep with his heavy game. When he gets shorter balls back and can really load up on his forehand, that's when he is dangerous. As I mentioned earlier, Tien mainly won his previous match against Mensik due to physicality, but I'm not sure that's a path to victory for him here...