Sonego, Australian Open dream continues: beats Tien and flies to quarter-finals
The Italian has never been so far ahead in his career in a Slam tournament: he defeated the American in 4 sets. Now there is the challenge against Shelton. The emotion at the end of the match: "It's incredible, I enjoy every moment"
Melbourne, January 20, 2025 – Extraordinary Lorenzo Sonego: the blue team achieves qualification for the quarterfinals of the Australian OpenIn the eighth finals, the Piedmontese beats the American Learner Tien 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1: for the first time in his career, Sonego reaches the quarter-finals of a Slam.
The 29-year-old is now waiting for the American Ben Shelton, seeded number 21, who overcame Gael Monfils: the 38 year old Frenchman he retired at the beginning of the fourth set (trailing two sets to one), after the first three sets had ended in tie-breaks in temperatures of over 30 degrees.
Against Tien, Sonego pays the price only for a blank passage in the third set. For the rest, the match is a monologue of the Italian which dominates the scene with 58 winning shots, almost triple the opponent's loot (21), and the beauty of 20 needlesThe American holds out for an hour and a half, then the tank runs out: Sonego plays on velvet, triumphs and for the first time in his career can dreaming of the semi-final of a Slam tournament.
The emotion at the end of the match was inevitable: “It's incredible – his words in the interview on the pitch –. It was a difficult match despite Tien's problems, but I am happy to have reached the quarter finals of Slam finals for the first time. Being here is special. This week I played well and tried to enjoy every moment on the pitch."
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