Learner Tien extends breakout run in Metz

In the crisp confines of Metz‘s arena, where the low bounce of indoor hard rewards the bold, Learner Tien dismantled French wildcard Ugo Blanchet 6-3, 6-3, his left-handed spin carving through the home crowd’s murmurs. The 19-year-old American, eyes fixed on next month’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, absorbed the pressure of a campaign already boasting 28 tour-level wins, each point a testament to his evolving command. This victory, clean and unyielding, sets up a second-round test against lucky loser Moez Echargui, where Tien’s tactical poise could extend his surge.

Lefty spin disrupts early rhythms

Tien leaned into his one–two patterns from the baseline, firing inside-out forehands to stretch Blanchet wide before dipping underspin backhands crosscourt to force hurried replies. The surface’s quick tempo amplified his slice, keeping the Frenchman off-balance and yielding breaks in both sets without conceding a single chance. Drawing from last month’s Beijing final and fourth-round grit in Shanghai at the ATP Masters 1000 event, the lefty showed how indoor conditions sharpen his ability to vary pace, turning potential chaos into controlled dominance.

Across the draw, similar adjustments defined the day’s grind, as players molded their games to the court’s unforgiving speed. The ATP Win/Loss Index tracks Tien‘s 28 victories as fuel for his ascent, a number that underscores the mental fortitude required amid the fall swing’s intensity.

Veterans rally with ace-heavy serves

Former Metz champion Lorenzo Sonego channeled past glory here, rallying from a set down to edge British qualifier Jan Choinski 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, his 11 aces slicing through the Briton’s returns like precision serves down-the-line. The Italian’s kick serves to the body disrupted rhythm on the slick hard, echoing the quarterfinal push at the Australian Open that marked his year’s high. Now facing fourth seed Flavio Cobolli, Sonego’s serving edge will need to counter the younger player’s fluid groundstrokes, potentially reigniting his title defense.

British lefty Cameron Norrie, rebounding to No. 27 in the PIF ATP Rankings after May’s dip to No. 91, outlasted Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 by mixing deep crosscourt forehands with slice approaches that exploited the low bounce. His upset over Carlos Alcaraz in Paris last week infused quiet confidence, transforming a wobbly second set into a decisive third through better net rushes. Against Arthur Cazaux next, Norrie’s spin variations could unsettle the Frenchman’s power, adding momentum to a resurgence built on resilient baselines.

Qualifiers claim maiden tour victories

French qualifier Clement Tabur seized his maiden tour-level win, overpowering Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3, 6-2 with aggressive inside-in forehands that pinned the American deep and capitalized on tentative serves. The victory, born from qualifier’s edge, injected fresh urgency into Metz’s undercard, where surface familiarity turns raw talent into breakthroughs. Ukrainian lucky loser Vitaliy Sachko echoed that fire, clinching his first ATP Tour triumph over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(10), 6-3, his varied depths neutralizing big-hitting one–twos in a grueling tiebreak.

These upsets, amid the arena’s echoing cheers, highlight how the Moselle Open‘s pace favors adapters, from Tien’s spin mastery to these newcomers’ grit. As second-round clashes loom, the draw pulses with stories of ascent, each match testing resolve on a stage where every adjustment edges players closer to year-end glory.