Learner Tien continued to improve his tennis game on Sunday at Solano College, winning the Taub/Kennedy-Grossman Solano Challenger in commanding fashion.

The 18-year-old phenom defeated veteran Australian Bernard Tomic, 31, 6-0, 6-1. It was Tien’s third Challenger title in 2024 in just his second professional season.

“I’m very fortunate to be in the position that I am in,” Tien told the crowd after the event. “I have a long ways to go. Hopefully I can keep this momentum going. I’m very grateful for all the people who helped me get here.”

Tien blazed through the tournament by winning 21 straight games. It continued an excellent season in which the Irvine native won 28 straight matches from May to July. His previous Challenger titles came earlier this season in Michigan and Las Vegas.

With Tien’s serve on point, Sunday’s final lasted only 39 minutes. Tien broke Tomic’s serve five times during the match, and knocked down six aces. Tomic struggled throughout the match and had six double faults.

“Once I lost those first two or three games, it was tough mentally to stay on track,” he said after the match. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep up with my legs.”

But he also noted that the match was his first final “in ages” and said he “had to respect this moment.” He had plenty of praise for Tien, telling him he had “a bright future” and “can do wonderful things in tennis.”

Tomic has also been having a great season this year, finishing in the quarterfinals or better in eight different tournaments. He is hoping to continue to push his rank below 200 so he can qualify for the Australian Open in his home country where he is still a crowd favorite. He is on the path toward making a comeback to the ATP tour where he has four career titles and has earned some $6.4 million since he turned pro in 2008.

Robin Miller, Media Relations for the Solano Challenger Tournament, contributed to this story.