South Africa’s Lloyd Harris has reached the second round of the US Open after completing a successful qualifying campaign and winning his opening main-draw match in straight sets.
The 29-year-old defeated American Jack Kennedy 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday in one hour and 43 minutes. The result continues a positive run for Harris, who has faced injuries and inconsistent form in recent seasons but remains South Africa’s leading men’s tennis player.
Harris, a big-serving player from Cape Town, has risen to 133rd in the world rankings following the victory. He will next face either Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas or France’s 10th seed Arthur Fils in the second round.
His progress in New York is particularly notable because he had to come through three qualifying matches to earn his place in the main draw.
Harris began qualifying with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Bernard Tomic. He then recovered from losing the opening set to beat Portugal’s Henrique Rocha 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (12/10) in the second round.
A straight-set win over Spain’s Pablo Llamas Ruiz, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, in the final qualifying round secured his place in the tournament proper.
The South African has enjoyed success at the US Open before. He reached the quarter-finals in 2021, which remains his best performance at a Grand Slam tournament. This year marks his seventh appearance at the US Open.
Harris is guaranteed at least $190,000 (R3 million) in prize money for reaching the second round. Victory in his next match would increase his earnings to a minimum of $290,000 (R4.7 million).
His latest result provides an important boost after a difficult period and gives him the chance to make another deep run at the tournament where he has previously produced the best Grand Slam result of his career.
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