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Gutsy win for Lloyd Harris keeps US Open hopes alive
Harris will meet American wild card entry Ernesto Escobedo in round two.
Lloyd Harris of South Africa returns the ball against Karen Khachanov of Russia during their first round match at the US Open on Tuesday. Harris shocked the seeded player to advance to the second round. Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Lloyd Harris put up a hard fight on Tuesday, scraping his way to a gutsy first-round victory at the US Open in New York.
The rising South African star clawed his way back from two sets down to beat Russian No 25 seed Karen Khachanov 6-4 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Harris joined countryman Kevin Anderson in the second round of the men’s singles competition at Flushing Meadows.
Anderson, a former US Open finalist, will face No 11 seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina and Harris will meet American wild card entry Ernesto Escobedo in round two.
ALSO READ: Big-serving Anderson powers his way into US Open second round
Meanwhile, world number one Novak Djokovic won without playing his best in the opening round, in his quest for a calendar-year Grand Slam and record 21st major title.
The 34-year-old Serbian star dominated much of the way in beating 18-year-old Danish qualifier Holger Rune 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1 after two hours and 15 minutes in the night feature at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It wasn’t the best of my performances,” Djokovic said. “At the same time, he played well in the second set when it mattered and I didn’t serve well in the second set.”
History-chasing Djokovic, who has won eight of the past 12 Grand Slam events, will next face 121st-ranked Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, a rival the top seed admitted he didn’t know much about.
“I know this court well,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully that’s going to help.”
Djokovic would complete the first men’s singles calendar-year Slam since Rod Laver in 1969 by winning the crown on the New York hardcourts.
He would also break the deadlock for all-time men’s Slam titles at 20 which he shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent due to injuries, as is defending champion Dominic Thiem.
Earlier Tuesday, Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev stretched his win streak to 12 matches and warned he has his eyes on denying Djokovic the Slam.
Fourth seed Zverev, who beat Djokovic in an Olympic semi-final, dispatched American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.
“I hope in two weeks’ time I’ll be on an 18-match winning streak,” said Zverev, who would claim his first Grand Slam title if he creates such a run.
Zverev, who next faces Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas, could face Djokovic in the semi-finals.
“I hope I can keep the level up,” Zverev said. “To beat Novak here is going to be an extremely difficult task.”
Women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty, coming off wins at Wimbledon and Cincinnati, began her chase for back-to-back Slam titles by defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).
“When my back was against the wall late in that buster, I came up with some really good stuff,” Barty said.
The 25-year-old Australian next faces Denmark’s Clara Tauson as she goes for her sixth title of the year.
Canadian sixth seed Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open winner who skipped last year’s event, struggled but outlasted Swiss Viktorija Golubic 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
