Machac Tames Tien In Acapulco And Becomes Czech No. 1

Tomas Machac, Acapulco
Tomas Machac (photo: Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentato por HSBC)

ACAPULCO/WASHINGTON, February 28, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

American qualifier Learner Tien had earned the biggest win of his career at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC on Wednesday evening, when he defeated World No. 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets. The loss ended the German’s 28-match winning streak against left-handers and it advanced Tien into the quarterfinal round.

However, as the 83rd-ranked Tien – the American No. 9 – would learn as he attempted to become the eighth-youngest man to reach his first ATP 500 semifinal in series history when he took on World No. 25 Tomas Machac of Czechia, stringing together two quality wins on back-to-back days isn’t an easy task.

Thursday evening on the Grandstand, the eighth-seeded Machac – the highest remaining seed left in the tournament draw following the elimination of the top six seeds, including Zverev – persevered against Tien and earned a quality 6-3, 7-5 victory in an hour and 38 minutes to advance to his third quarterfinal of the 2025 season.

Machac finished his quarterfinal against Tien with 27 winners to 35 unforced errors, compared to 13 winners and 36 unforced errors by the 19-year-old American lefty. Machac converted six of 14 break-point opportunities, withstood having his own serve broken three times in four attempts, and outpointed Tien 77-62.

After appearing in his fourth straight ATP 500 quarterfinal, the victory advanced Machac to his fourth career ATP Tour semifinal – and third above the ATP 250 level after reaching back-to-back semifinals at Tokyo and at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai last year. Also, the win has lifted Machac to No. 22 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and it moves him past Jiri Lehecka to regain the Czech No. 1 spot.

“I knew I had to play good with him,” Machac said during his on-court interview after improving to 10-4 this season with his triumph over Tien. “I was playing my best tennis. … Luckily, I found a way to win.

“I was just trying to play my tennis … I think I can play with the best players. I tried to play my game and figured it out on the court.”

Machac added: “All of the players [here] are good, including the unseeded players. … When you step on the court it’s tough to beat anybody.”

On Friday, Machac will face No. 42 Brandon Nakashima of the United States, who advanced past 63rd-ranked David Goffin of Belgium, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in two hour and two minutes on Estadio. It was the 23-year-old American’s second win in two meetings against the Belgian No. 1 and he put a wrap on the victory with his 12th ace of the match.

Coming in, Nakashima was playing in his 15th career ATP Tour quarterfinal – but just the first above ATP 250 level – while Goffin was seeking his 10th ATP 500 semifinal appearance. Nakashima struck 29 winners to 32 unforced errors, compared to 24 winners and 39 unforced errors for Goffin. He converted five of 11 break points and outpointed his opponent 83-73.

It was Nakashima’s 101st tour-level win of his career – he’s 101-85 overall since turning pro in 2019 – and he’s through to his seventh ATP Tour semifinal against Machac. The victory elevated Nakashima to No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Meanwhile, No. 9 seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada brought a seven-match winning streak into his quarterfinal against No. 52 Marcos Giron of the United States on Estadio after winning the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 event in Dallas earlier this month. Despite entering the Acapulco quarterfinal with an 0-2 deficit in his career head-to-head against Giron, Shapovalov has now joined fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime as the only players to reach multiple ATP 500 semifinals this season after he rallied past Giron, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in two hours and 10 minutes. The victory lifted Shapovalov’s live ranking up to No. 28 after beginning the week at No. 32.

Finally, former junior World No. 1 and Mexican hope Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez made plenty of history for Mexican tennis earlier this week after becoming the first Mexican to win a match in the Acapulco main draw since the tournament switched surfaces from clay to hard court in 2014 and the first Mexican to reach the quarterfinals since the event moved from Mexico City to Acapulco in 2001, after World No. 5 Casper Ruud withdrew from their second-round match Wednesday due to illness.

However, his journey ended against No. 48 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard won 6-2, 6-2 in the last match on Estadio as Thursday night morphed into early Friday morning. The victory advanced Davidovich Fokina into his seventh career ATP Tour semifinal.

The 19-year-old, 355th-ranked Pacheco Mendez aimed to become first Mexican man to earn a Top-50 win since Alejandro Hernandez defeated No. 25 Marcelo Rios in Mexico’s 2002 Davis Cup tie against Chile. The Merida-native also looked to become lowest-ranked ATP 500 semifinalist in series history (since 2009).

Around the Abierto Mexicano Telcel

• As the doubles quarterfinal lineups took shape on Wednesday evening, there was distinct Mexican flavor to two teams, which reached the final eight. First, Miguel Reyes-Varela of Mexico and N. Sriram Balaji of India advanced with an upset of No. 2 seeds Sander Gille of Belgium and Jan Zielinski of Poland, who had been finalists in each of their last two tournaments, in Rotterdam and Marseille. The Mexican/Indian duo won 6-4, 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals against Mexico’s Hans Hach Verdugo and JJ Tracy of the United States. The wild card Mexican/American pair defeated Andre Goransson of Sweden and Sem Verbeek of the Netherlands, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

• Thursday evening, in the doubles quarterfinals, American qualifiers Christian Harrison and Evan King pulled off an upset of No. 3 seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, 7-6 (5), 6-4. In the semifinals, Harrison and King will meet Alexander Erler of Austria and Constantin Frantzen of Germany, who defeated Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Austria’s Lucas Miedler, 6-3, 6-4.

Thursday’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel results

Friday’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel order of play

By the numbers

With his quarterfinal victory Thursday, Tomas Machac became just the first Czech semifinalist at the Acapulco event in more than 25 years and the second overall after Jiri Novak, who twice appeared in the Acapulco semifinals (1996, 1998).

“Quotable …”

“I know I have to play good tennis for that [to get to No. 1 in the world]. I have to win a lot of tournaments to get there and I need to improve my game. The way I played in South America is not going to be enough. I have to keep improving, I have to keep playing better.”

– World No. 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, during his post-match news conference after winning his first-round match against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy. Zverev was eliminated by Learner Tien of the United States in the second round Wednesday night.

 

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