BLOOMFIELD HILLS/STARNBERG, July 7, 2024
Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy will compete in Sunday’s championship match of the Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
In Saturday’s semi-finals featuring four players from the United States, Tien fought past qualifier Ryan Seggerman 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. The 18-year-old wild card entry withstood 13 aces and broke his rival’s serve four times to seal victory in one hour and 32 minutes.
Teenage Dreaming 💪
18-year-old Learner Tien advances to his first career Challenger final with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Seggerman in Bloomfield Hills#ATPChallenger | @usta pic.twitter.com/XpfAQy8w0h
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 6, 2024
The 19-year-old Basavareddy was leading 6-2, 2-0 when his opponent Stefan Kozlov was forced to stop playing. The 26-year-old qualifier retired from the match with an elbow injury.
The final between Tien and Basavareddy will be just the third in Challenger history to feature two US-American teenagers. Tien, a winner of six ITF World Tennis Tour titles, will appear in his maiden championship match at Challenger level. Basavareddy could lift his first trophy on the Pro Circuit. The pair will meet for the first time.
