Southern Californian Learner Tien said he couldn’t help but glance \u2060over at the seats he sat in when he was a kid attending Indian Wells during his third-round win at \u200chis home tennis tournament on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The rising 20-year-old from Irvine said it “meant a lot” \u200cfor him to him to beat fellow American lefty Ben \u200cShelton<\/a> 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3<\/a> on a sun-soaked Stadium One court to advance \u200cunder sunny skies in the California desert.<\/p>\n “The court I played on \u200ctoday, I remember exactly where I was sitting in that same stadium when I was a kid, so it’s really cool, it’s a full-circle moment for \u200cme,” he said.<\/p>\n “From where I was sitting \u2060on the bench, it was to \u200cmy left, in the corner. I remember those seats. I remember a \u200blot of it still.”<\/p>\n He said he was fortunate to grow up in Southern California, a region with deep roots in \u200bthe sport that offers ideal weather for year-round practice and competition.<\/p>\n “There’s a lot of tennis, a lot of tennis courts, a lot \u2060of tennis players, and \u200ba lot of parents putting their kids into tennis programs,” he said.<\/p>\n “There were a lot of tournaments around. I wouldn’t have to travel that far most of the time, and it wasn’t that hard \u200cto find open courts. I consider myself pretty lucky to have grown up in this area.”<\/p>\n