The young ones keep coming at NBO as Tien,…

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After Sunday’s day session at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, Learner Tien and Andy Roddick have at least one thing in common.

As younger players on the rise, they made the quarterfinals in Canada’s Masters 1000 event.

Tien became the youngest American since Roddick in 2002 to achieve the feat when the 20-year-old beat Thiago Tirante, 6-4, 6-4 in a crowd-pleasing slugfest in Montreal.

Tien and Roddick differ in their styles. While Roddick slammed down serves and forehands, Tien can shift from counter punching to attacking in a second and maneuvers the ball around the court exceptionally well.

Even though the lefty isn’t one of the game’s giants at 5-foot-11, he packs a punch on his serve.

And don’t let the lack of fist pumps or loud roars fool you. The world No. 19 is a gritty competitor.

Tirante grew up playing on clay but is adapting nicely to hard courts.

READ: Looking back at the first week that was at the NBO in Montreal

When Tirante upset Taylor Fritz earlier at this NBO, he improved to 5-1 in his last six outings versus Top 20 opposition.

But Tien ended that streak.

He overturned a 2-0 deficit in the first set and saved eight of nine break points in the second set through windy conditions at IGA Stadium.

On most of those break points, Tien excelled. He outlasted Tirante — who mixes power with fine movement — in a 27-shot exchange and another time, hit a nifty volley.

Instead of Tirante potentially leading 3-0 in the second, he trailed 3-0. But Tirante did his fair share, too, authoring a sublime backhand volley that got him to smile and drew some fans out of their seats.

Tirante saved two match points to hold for 3-5 in the second set — one on a net cord winner — and then finally broke, to love, to get back on serve.

Tirante unravelled serving at 4-5 in the opening frame and the same thing happened in a dramatic last game.

Three straight unforced errors made it 0-40, then Tirante slammed two forehands to save two more match points. On the last one, though, his forehand found the net.

He’ll still be at a new career-high ranking inside the Top 50 when the NBO is done but it is Tien who keeps on going in Montreal.

Merida makes it two Spaniards in quarterfinals

A day after Rafael Jodar made the quarterfinals, Daniel Merida joined his countryman in the elite eight with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Tallon Griekspoor to start play on Centre Court.

It marks the first time two Spaniards have reached the quarterfinals in Montreal since Rafael Nadal and Roberto Bautista Agut in 2019. Merida, a new Masters 1000 quarterfinalist, is Tien’s next challenger.

Griekspoor, who knocked off top seed Alexander Zverev in the second round, needed a medical timeout for a back injury in the third round and the Dutchman never got going against the 21-year-old.

Merida has picked up his first ATP hard court wins in Montreal, which isn’t necessarily an indication of his ability on the surface. He had success at hard court Challengers earlier in the year, building his ranking up from well outside the Top 100.

After making his first final and winning his first title, both on clay, Merida got his ranking in a position to play at ATP tournaments, including in Montreal where he was the last player to earn direct acceptance into the main draw.

“I feel amazing playing here,” said Merida. “I knew I have the level, winning my first title three weeks ago. I was trying just to give my 100 percent every point. I know if I fight until the end of the match I have the opportunity to play against these guys and to make the quarterfinals and even better.”

He blended lobs with backhands down the line and changed the shape on his forehand, rifling balls when given the opportunity.