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Lloyd Harris. (Photo by Francois Nel / Getty Images)
Rising South African tennis star Lloyd Harris claimed the biggest scalp of his career on Tuesday when he defeated the Austrian Dominic Thiem at the Dubai Championship.
Harris won 6-3, 6-4 in 72 minutes of flawless tennis against the 2020 US Open champion.
“I’m super, super happy with that victory. [He is] By far the highest ranked player I’ve ever beaten, “Harris said on the court after the game.
“I admire Domi a lot, so for me, it’s a special feeling. I’m very happy. Just the fact that I’m playing good tennis, game inside, game outside now, gives me a lot of confidence.
Thiem, the world number 4, struggled with the fast hard court conditions and never came close to breaking Harris’ serve. In fact, Harris kept serve without being forced to two and broke Thiem’s serve twice in the match.
“I was serving really well. I don’t think I faced any break points. I took control of those games and [in] a game or two at your service, I took a good look at myself. I played some of the important points very well. I’m very proud of that, “Harris said.
Last week, the 24-year-old South African achieved his first win in the top 20 when he defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka at the Qatar Open.
Harris, who had to win two qualifying matches to reach the Dubai main draw, knocked out Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1 in the first round on Monday.
He will then face Filip Krajinovic, the fourteenth seed Serbian, for a place in the quarterfinals.
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