Lloyd Harris cruises into Round 3 at US Open in New York

South African star Lloyd Harris reached the third round of the US Open with a comfortable straight-sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Ernesto Escobedo on Thursday.

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It was the first time in the 24-year-old Capetonian’s career that he’s advanced to the last 32 in New York.

Harris hit an astonishing 44 winners (including 21 aces) to opponent’s 12 (seven aces).

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The win saw Harris jump to a new career-high position of 39th in the ATP Tour rankings.

Harris, who upset Russian 25th seed Karen Khachanov in the first round, will face seventh-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov next.

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Shapovalov beat Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the third round.

Harris will take confidence into that match having won their only head-to-head clash to date earlier this year in Dubai which was also contested on hard courts.

Earlier in the week at a Hurricane Ida-hit Flushing Meadows, South Africa’s only other singles contestant Kevin Anderson, lost 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4 to Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman in the second round on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles, South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and his Japanese partner Ben McLachlan won their opening match 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/5) against American duo Mitchell Krueger and Michael Mmoh.

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Results from Thursday’s matches at the US Open (x denotes seed):

MEN

Round 2

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 2-6, 6-3

Aslan Karatsev (RUS x21) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1

Jenson Brooksby (USA) bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (12/10), 7-5, 6-2

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL x10) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)

Oscar Otte (GER) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Ilya Ivashka (BLR) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)

Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Alexander Zverev (GER x4) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-1, 6-0, 6-3

Jack Sock (USA) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ x31) 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Gael Monfils (FRA x17) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Jannik Sinner (ITA x13) bt Zachary Svajda (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4

Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Maxime Cressy (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-5

Reilly Opelka (USA x22) bt Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) 7-6 (7/1), 7-5, 6-4

Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Denis Shapovalov (CAN x7) bt  Roberto Carballés Baena (ESP) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-0

WOMEN

Round 2

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Clara Tauson (DEN) 6-1, 7-5

Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 7-5, 6-2

Sara Sorribes (ESP) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 6-1, 6-3

Emma Raducanu (GBR) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-2, 6-4

Belinda Bencic (SUI x11) bt Martina Trevisan (ITA) 6-3, 6-1

Jessica Pegula (USA x23) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-3, 6-2

Anett Kontaveit (EST x28) bt Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-4, 6-1

Iga Swiatek (POL x7) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0

Karolína Plíšková (CZE x4) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7)

Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt Petra Martic (CRO x30) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4

Varvara Gracheva (RUS) bt Paula Badosa (ESP x24) 6-4, 6-4

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x14) bt Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (SVK) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2

Petra Kvitova (CZE x10) bt Kristýna Plíšková (CZE) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Maria Sakkari (GRE x17) bt Katerina Siniaková (CZE) 6-4, 6-2

Greet Minnen (BEL) bt Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-4, 6-4

Bianca Andreescu (CAN x6) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-4, 6-4

Angelique Kerber (GER x16) bt Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 6-3, 6-2