Zverev gives Learner a lesson

Story of the match 

Perhaps he was still smarting from falling to Tien in Acapulco in February, or bitter that he departed Paris last year without the Grand Slam title he so badly covets. Or, maybe, Zverev is just that good on the terre battue, where he has been a formidable force for years, compiling a 35-9 record since his Roland-Garros main draw debut in 2016. 

Whatever the case, there was snarl and efficiency in the German’s tennis from the onset of Tuesday's first-round tilt, as well as some of the focus he has lacked at times this spring on the clay, where he suffered three losses to players ranked outside the top 20.

With Zverev already up a set, the No.3 seed's focus was on full display in the fifth game of the second stanza as he clinically erased a break point by outlasting the American in a physical rally, finishing it with a forehand down the line that was casually clocked for a clean winner.

A statement of intent, and one of many.

Credit persistent 19-year-old Tien for staying on mission against a daunting opponent. He earned three more chances a game later, but failed to convert on each of the break points he held. Using the momentum, the German broke in the next game for 5-3 and had two sets in hand with just 74 minutes of match play in the books.

Tien, making his tournament debut and attempting to become the first American man to earn a top 3 win at Roland Garros since 1996, acquitted himself very well in the first two sets, even if his efforts weren't rewarded.

It was simply too difficult for him to contend with Zverev’s scorching tennis. 

The man who has played 12 five-setters at Roland-Garros, including five in the tournament’s first two rounds, was in no mood to mess around on Tuesday. He routinely took the ball up the line, using his versatile backhand to displace Tien and set up finishing opportunities. 

Zverev finished the contest with 28 winners, including 12 off the forehand wing, while Tien could produce only five winners. 

The Hamburg native applied more pressure in the third set, earning triple break point twice, and on the second occasion, with Tien serving at 4-4, he made it count. 

Moments later Zverev closed out the decisive win in a cool one hour and 53 minutes.

Key Stats 

Zverev was extraordinary behind his first serve, winning 90 per cent of points behind it (46 of 51 points won). He saved all four break points he faced and dropped only 14 points on serve in total as he held in all fourteen of his service games.

Zverev captured his 35th career win at Roland Garros, which leads all players born in the 1990s. The 28-year-old German is the only player on the men’s side who has reached at least the semi-finals in his last four appearances.

Zverev’s take on the match

After his win, last year’s runner-up says he is just happy to return to the tournament that has meant so much to him in the past. 

“First of all I’m just very happy to be back in Paris,” he told the crowd. “Roland-Garros is a special place to me. It was a good start to the tournament and I’m very happy with a three-set win.

"Usually I always play four or five sets, very, very long in the first matches, but I’m happy with this win and hopefully it will continue like this – hopefully it’s going to be a fun two weeks here.” 

After falling to Tien in three sets in Acapulco, Zverev admitted that the loss fueled him to perform better on Tuesday. 

“He beat a lot of great opponents in the beginning of the year. He beat Medvedev at the Australian Open, he beat me in Acapulco,” Zverev said. “He’s very young, he’s very talented and obviously he’s going to climb up the rankings, and he's still going to improve.

"It helped that I played him once before, and maybe it helped that I lost to him also. I kind of knew what to expect. I’m happy with today’s performance all around.”