Latest news with #LloydHarris
The South African
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Lloyd Harris out of Wimbledon: Here's how much MONEY he won
Russia's Andrey Rublev took his career head-to-head record against South Africa's Lloyd Harris to 4-0 when he won their men's singles second round match at Wimbledon on Wednesday. The Russian 14th seed beat Harris in four sets to advance to the third round. Harris won the first set 7-6 after winning a one-sided tie-break 7/1. However, Rublev hit back in the match to claim the next three sets 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3. Lloyd Harris qualified for the second round after defeating world No 50 Zizou Bergs of Belgium in four spellbinding sets – 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (7/5), 6-2. However, that match seemed to take a lot out of him as Rublev eventually cruised to victory in their second-round outing. The 28-year-old South African has battled back from injury, first a wrist operation in 2022 and last October major surgery to his back. 'Back surgery is tough because I'll tell you what – you can't use your legs, you can't use your upper body. You can't do anything,' Harris said. 'This surgery, I was in no shape, I had no condition when coming back, still in a lot of pain when I had to start moving and getting things going again. That was tough. 'As hard as [the wrist surgery] was and how tedious the wrist is, at least I was in great shape. I was able to move and be active physically. Okay, I couldn't do anything upper body, but damn, I was fit. So that made things a lot easier in that perspective.' Lloyd Harris's return to action post-surgery first came in February, after a seven-month layoff. He began on the ATP Challenger Tour and lost his first seven of eight matches, including two retirements, across all levels. It was not until Roland Garros qualifying that Harris won consecutive matches. 'It's not easy but in the end, it's a process and you try to make it as fun as you can,' Harris said. 'When you're back and you're healthy and you're playing good matches, winning matches, it's all worth it in the end, 100 percent,' he said. Harris pocketed £99 000 (R2.4 million) for reaching the second round. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Reuters
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Big hits, small margins as Rublev rethinks grasscourt game
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Andrey Rublev got the win but no easy ride at Wimbledon on Wednesday, as he fought past Lloyd Harris 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-3 in a bruising second-round duel on Court Three. The 14th seed, who has reached 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals without converting any into a semi-final appearance, came off court sounding less relieved than reflective. "Now the level is different," Rublev said. "Everybody knows how to hit the ball. Everybody can be dangerous. Everybody knows how to serve over 200 (kph). Now it's more about who is more stable, more focused, who is more ready." Rublev beat South African Harris at Wimbledon in 2021 but the intervening years have levelled the playing field in ways that surprised even the experienced Russian. "Three years ago, I felt like if I just focused, there was no chance I would lose. Today, even with full focus, it was really tough to beat him," he said. "The level is different. Everybody knows how to shoot hard now. They are going for the shots. In or out, it doesn't matter, 50/50, because then they know that they serve 200 (kph), they hold the serve. "Before it was more (tactical), more strategy, how you play, how you defend, how you bring the balls back. Now, okay, you have tactic. Okay, I want to play like this. The guy serve 220, ace. Okay, you return. He shoot full power next set. "Tactics don't really work that much anymore. Only when it's slower courts, and then yes. Then we see more rallies, then more tactics. Then the guy who is more prepared physically normally wins. Here when it's fast, now we see that everybody can shoot the ball hard, and that's why everybody have chances." Next up is crafty French veteran Adrian Mannarino who promises to test Rublev's patience in entirely different ways. "We've played many times. He can drive everybody crazy," Rublev said. "He's super talented. You need a lot of patience. He knows how to defend well, how to bring the balls back. That makes you go for extra risk, which makes you miss more." With the draw opening up and the grass playing fast, Rublev may never have a better opportunity to finally reach a Grand Slam semi-final – assuming he can navigate the new reality of tennis where everyone can "shoot the ball hard."
CNA
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Big hits, small margins as Rublev rethinks grasscourt game
LONDON :Andrey Rublev got the win but no easy ride at Wimbledon on Wednesday, as he fought past Lloyd Harris 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-3 in a bruising second-round duel on Court Three. The 14th seed, who has reached 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals without converting any into a semi-final appearance, came off court sounding less relieved than reflective. "Now the level is different," Rublev said. "Everybody knows how to hit the ball. Everybody can be dangerous. Everybody knows how to serve over 200 (kph). Now it's more about who is more stable, more focused, who is more ready." Rublev beat South African Harris at Wimbledon in 2021 but the intervening years have levelled the playing field in ways that surprised even the experienced Russian. "Three years ago, I felt like if I just focused, there was no chance I would lose. Today, even with full focus, it was really tough to beat him," he said. "The level is different. Everybody knows how to shoot hard now. They are going for the shots. In or out, it doesn't matter, 50/50, because then they know that they serve 200 (kph), they hold the serve. "Before it was more (tactical), more strategy, how you play, how you defend, how you bring the balls back. Now, okay, you have tactic. Okay, I want to play like this. The guy serve 220, ace. Okay, you return. He shoot full power next set. "Tactics don't really work that much anymore. Only when it's slower courts, and then yes. Then we see more rallies, then more tactics. Then the guy who is more prepared physically normally wins. Here when it's fast, now we see that everybody can shoot the ball hard, and that's why everybody have chances." Next up is crafty French veteran Adrian Mannarino who promises to test Rublev's patience in entirely different ways. "We've played many times. He can drive everybody crazy," Rublev said. "He's super talented. You need a lot of patience. He knows how to defend well, how to bring the balls back. That makes you go for extra risk, which makes you miss more." With the draw opening up and the grass playing fast, Rublev may never have a better opportunity to finally reach a Grand Slam semi-final – assuming he can navigate the new reality of tennis where everyone can "shoot the ball hard."
The South African
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Lloyd Harris serves up a masterclass in lawn tennis
On the hottest opening day on record, South Africa's Lloyd Harris served up a masterclass in lawn tennis, securing a second-round place at Wimbledon. The world No 320 defeated world No 50 Zizou Bergs of Belgium in four spellbinding sets – 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (7/5), 6-2. The first three sets were tie-breakers, which fuelled the drama and lively crowds on a packed Court No 7. The match lasted four hours and six minutes. For fans who had queued since 05.30 for a Grounds Pass ticket, this match certainly delivered. Their chanting, cheering and even offers of beer (!) clearly encouraged Harris to push through. The three tie-breaker sets were reflective of the tight margins, until Harris upped the aggression, and dominated in the fourth. His variety of explosive shot making was perfectly suited to the hot conditions, making the court play faster. There was plenty of serve and volley, dotted with some dives and tumbles, reminiscent of vintage Boris Becker! After the match, Amisha Savani spoke to Harris about how well his game suited the grass. When asked whether he had worked with his coach to hone these skills, or whether his recent warm-up Challenger events on grass had helped perfect them, Harris responded, smiling: 'It only comes out for Wimbledon!' Harris was originally set to enter the qualifying tournament, before his protected ranking allowed him an extra 10 days to prepare for Wimbledon. Harris noted that this extra time had not only helped him improve his grass level, but also enabled him to play some of the best tennis of his life. He was very happy with his performance, particularly in overcoming three tie-breakers, including the physical endurance required in playing a match lasting just over four hours. This was particularly laudable, given his lack of match practice over the last year due to recovering from major back surgery. Given how suited Harris's game is to grass court tennis, Savani asked Harris about his thoughts on whether the UK needs an ATP 1000 event on grass. He reflected that a Masters 1000 event would only be good if the grass season was extended. 'I think if they're gonna extend the grass court season, then it would be good. Most guys, if you look at the top guys, they play only one event, on grass, right, because the other events are not mandatory.' He added: 'You have three surfaces but one is only being played for one month, you know, so I think it would be good'. Harris's Round 2 opponent is world No 14 Andrey Rublev. Whilst Rublev leads their head-to-head 3-0, Harris was buoyant, saying that his plan was to 'focus on the serve and try and take the racquet out of his hand when I can.' Lloyd Harris's second round match against Andrey Rublev is scheduled for Wednesday, 2 July. Amisha Savani is reporting exclusively from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon for The South African . Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Lloyd Harris aims for Wimbledon redemption after early French Open exit
South Africa's Lloyd Harris will face Zizou Bergs of Belgium in the Wimbledon first round on Monday as he continues his comeback from injury. Photo: AFP South Africa's top-ranked tennis player, Lloyd Harris will be hoping to make it past the first round at Wimbledon, after falling at the first hurdle at the recent French Open. The SA tennis ace, whose promising career has been blighted by injury, will face Zizou Bergs of Belgium in Monday's first round. Harris, who was the only South African in the men's singles draw of the French Open, as he is at Wimbledon, was beaten 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round by No15 seed Andrey Rublev at Roland Garros. Zizou is also ranked higher than him at Wimbledon, but does not have the pedigree of the South African, who reached the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2021. The former world No 31 is making his way back up the rankings after an extended absence due to injury. Wrist surgery in 2022 was followed by back surgery late last year, which derailed his progress. 'It's been tough, but for me it's all about being healthy. Every match I get being injury free is a mega win for me,' he told in the build-up to the clay court Grand Slam. Featuring in back-to-back Grand Slam main draws will be regarded as steady progress by the 28-year-old Capetonian. Harris reached the second round at Wimbledon last year, where he pushed rising US star Ben Shelton before losing in five sets. If he can come close to replicating that form, he can book a place in the second round again. Zizou will also fancy his chances of progressing, after reaching the final of the tour-level Libema Open on grass in the Netherlands recently.
