World number two Alexander Zverev suffered a shock early exit from the Mexican Open with a straight-set defeat against teenage qualifier Learner Tien.
Australian Open finalist Zverev, the top seed in Acapulco, put in an uncharacteristically error-strewn performance as American Tien won 6-3 6-4.
Tien, 19, beat Briton Cameron Norrie in the previous round and will face Czech Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals.
“I just went out there and tried to control my side of the court,” said Tien.
“Obviously I knew it was going to be a tough match. To come through feels great… I think just focusing on what I can control and keeping my cool as best as I can has really taken me a long way.”
Tien is the youngest American man to record a victory against a top-three opponent since Andy Roddick in 2001.
He has enjoyed a memorable few months, reaching the final at the Next Gen ATP Finals in December before making it through to the fourth round at the Australian Open in January.
Zverev is one of six seeds to exit the competition in the second round.
Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul and Holger Rune all pulled out because of a stomach bug, while Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe were beaten by David Goffin and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina respectively.
Ruud finished runner-up at the ATP 500 event in 2024 but the second seed did not make it to the court for his encounter against local favourite Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez.
“I was hoping to overcome this stomach illness that showed up yesterday,” Ruud said on Instagram.
“Hoping to come back stronger in a couple of days and come back here to Mexico next year.”
Rune, seeded fourth, began his match against Brandon Nakashima but had to retire while trailing 3-0 in the first set.
“Furious and so sad at the same time. Had food poisoning and was unable to play today,” Rune said on X.
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“One of my favourite places is Mexico and I love this tournament. Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end.”
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell says “everyone is very optimistic” about the future of golf amid ongoing talks between rival tours over bringing the game back together.
Last week, the PGA Tour held “constructive” talks with LIV Golf and United States president Donald Trump over the “reunification” of the men’s professional game.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour first agreed a shock merger with LIV Golf’s backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), in June 2023, but McDowell believes “we’re starting to turn the corner”.
“I’m really excited that things are going on to try and repair the damage that’s been done and bring the best players in the world back together more often,” the former world number four told BBC Sport NI.
“That’s the key really, for the fans, for the sponsors and for TV, having the best players in the world coming together more often I think is something we all want.
“What that means and what that looks like is something we don’t know but I think everyone is very optimistic and hopefully the future of golf is bright.”
Three-time Ryder Cup winner McDowell has been part of the LIV circuit since its formation in 2022.
Having been re-signed by Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team, one of the Northern Irishman’s key objectives this year is to qualify for the Open Championship, which returns to Royal Portrush in July.
McDowell was the only player from Northern Ireland to make the cut when his home town staged the Open in 2019.
The 45-year-old’s lifelong association with Royal Portrush has been strengthened further after a hole on the Valley Links course was named after him, which he said was a “great honour”.
In terms of the Open, McDowell has several opportunities to secure his place in this year’s field, starting with the International Series Macau on the Asian Tour in March, which has three qualifying spots up for grabs.
“It’s extremely important to me [to qualify],” said McDowell, whose last professional win came in February 2020.
“I’ve got a busy enough six months coming up but the major championships remain the most important events in the world.
“I’ve done all I can in the past three or four years to qualify for the Open and the US Open via the different routes and with the Open being at Portrush this year, it cranks up the intensity a little bit higher for me.
“I’m looking all over the world to see where there might be an opportunity and trying to go that extra mile to try and get into that tournament.”
