Daniil Medvedev made unwanted history for his own personal record when he faced off against Learner Tien in the fourth round of the Australian Open. The Russian Tennis ace managed to get past the likes of Jesper de Jong, Quentin Halys, and Fabian Marozsan to reach that stage, where he took on the man who knocked him out in the second round at last year’s competition.

The American made it a one-sided affair in Melbourne, winning in straight sets to book his place in the next round. For Medvedev, there was a sense of frustration during the match and an acceptance that he couldn’t quite keep up with his counterpart.

That was particularly evident midway through the encounter, where the 29-year-old lost 11 games on the spin to leave him facing an exit. It ultimately ended with Tien taking the match 6-4, 6-0, and 6-3, easing himself into the next round.

The 11-game loss in a row for Medvedev was not only damaging at a key point in the match, but it also created a new historic low for the Russian. He was bageled, when a player fails to register a game in a set and loses to nil, for the first time in his career at a Grand Slam event.

It’s officially his worst set in his 125 Grand Slam matches and over 450 sets, adding further frustration to the manner of the defeat. Medvedev spoke out about the difficulty of the match to the press after his defeat, and how he looked to break the 11-game losing streak he faced in it.

“I was just trying to win one more,” he said. “The one I won was not easy. I don’t know if he had a breakpoint, but for sure, it was a couple of deuce points.

“I mean, I was trying to figure out what can I do to kind of disturb his level that he had at this moment. I do want to say I guess I did something, because it became 4-3, and I even felt like, you know what, 4-3, it’s small chance. Then, well, there was not a big chance finally.

“That’s how I am no matter the score. I try to win one game at first, maybe one more after. The matches can turn a bit more probably in women’s tennis, but in men’s tennis as well we saw some crazy things. So I just try to say to myself, like, till the last point, try to fight. Then the last point was not for me this time.”

For Medvedev, the fourth-round exit is an improvement on his defeat in the second round at the last Australian Open, but it only fuels his rivalry with Tien. The 20-year-old continues to rise up the ranks after bursting onto the scene and getting into the top 100.

The American has now setup a quarter-final tie with world number three Alexander Zverev, in what should be an enticing match. “It feels amazing,” Tien said after registering the victory.

“It’s so special to do it, especially ‌here, where it’s ‌always so special for me to come back and play every year. This is a big goal for me this year and I’m just super happy … every ⁠year it’s been so special to come back and play in front of a crowd like this with this much energy and support.”