Thiago agustin tirante

Clay Court Championship: Learner Tien advanced to his maiden ATP Tour clay-court quarter-final at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship when he downed Nishesh Basavareddy 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Tien created 15 break chances, converting three, according to ATP Stats, to improve to 3-0 in his Lexus ATP Head-to-Head series with Basavareddy.

“My level dipped a bit in the second set, but I was happy to start the clay swing with a tough win over Nishesh,” Tien said. “We’ve played so many times over the years. I’m trying to use my drop shot more on clay, and I thought it was effective today. I think the surface can really help my forehand too. I’m just trying to improve and learn how to use the clay more effectively.”