In the previous round, Learner Tien lost the first set with a score of 4-6 to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. However, the 20-year-old quickly regained control of the game when winning overwhelmingly 6-1 in the second set. In the decisive set, the two players fought fiercely and had to decide the winner with a tie-break, where Learner Tien maintained his composure to close the match with a final victory of 4-6, 6-1, 7-6.
This result helps Learner Tien to be in the top 8 strongest players of the tournament, and at the same time continue to affirm remarkable progress in 2026. The Vietnamese-born player is currently considered one of the promising young faces of men's tennis in the world, along with talents under 21 years old such as Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik.
In the quarterfinals, Learner Tien will face the 2nd seed of the tournament, Jannik Sinner. The Italian player also just went through a difficult match when facing João Fonseca. Sinner won after two tie-breaks with scores of 7-6, 7-6.
In the first set, Sinner even had to save three losing points before scoring five consecutive points to reverse the situation. This victory helped the world No. 2 player continue his journey to conquer the first Indian Wells title in his career.
According to the schedule, the quarter-final match between Learner Tien and Jannik Sinner is scheduled to take place in the early morning of March 13 (Vietnam time). The competition is considered one of the most notable matches of the quarter-finals when a young player who is in high form has to face the championship contender of the tournament.
