South African star Lloyd Harris picked up the biggest win of his life as he ousted Rafael Nadal at the Citi Open on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old beat the returning Rafael Nadal 6-4 1-6 6-4 to progress to the third round in two hours and 11 minutes.
The big-serving South African, who had beaten the likes of Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka already this year, added the 20-time Major champion to his list in impressive fashion.
“Today was really special. I think I have had some big wins, and this year I have beat some Grand Slam champions,” Harris said.
“But to beat a 20-time Grand Slam champion, and especially in front of a full crowd and with such an amazing atmosphere, it was definitely something very special.”
“I did a lot of good things. I think the best thing was to stay in the moment, keep my composure, and I think I just stayed with my game and stayed playing a consistently good level throughout the match.
“It was a good, quality match, I think. Not easy for me out there. It was pretty physical, but all in all, I’m just super happy with how everything turned out.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who provided a positive injury update following his defeat, praised the 24-year-old for his ‘brave’ play.
“All the credit to him that he played aggressive,” he said. “He played well. He was brave. So, well done,” said the Spaniard.
