Inspired Harris ousts Shapovalov to advance to round of 16 at US Open

The 2021 US Open continues to see it's share of upsets, as unseeded South African Lloyd Harris defeated seventh seed Denis Shapovalov in their third round encounter on Saturday night.

Harris played one of the best matches of his life, cruising past Shapovalov in a 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory. The South African looked extremely comfortable on Louis Armstrong stadium, and seemed oblivious to the massive crowd that had gathered to watch him on such a stage. This was evident in his exceptional performance, as he hit aces and winners at will.

Conversely, Shapovalov seemed afflicted by the inconsistent play that has plagued him his entire career. The World No.10 hit 40 unforced errors, nine double faults and failed to develop a rhythm as Harris was rock solid on the other side of the net. Furthermore, the Canadian was unable to capitalize on his break point opportunities, converting on only 2 of 8 break points.

This victory ensures Harris will move to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, with the World No.46 facing big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the next round.