“I Look up to Domi” : Lloyd Harris After Clinching His Career-Best Win Against Dominic Thiem

Rising South African tennis star Lloyd Harris was “super happy” to have pulled off the biggest win of his career on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Harris upset World Number 4, Dominic Thiem, in a round-of-32 tie at the ongoing Dubai Open, a defeat that extended the Austrian’s unflattering track record at the event.

Harris followed up his win over Stan Wawrinka in Doha with an upset of Thiem in Dubai

The Thiem scalp comes close on the heels of Harris’ stunning win over three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in a knife-edged round-of-32 clash at the Qatar Open, the event that preceded Dubai.

Thiem made only his second tournament appearance in Dubai this year after 2015, where he had also crashed out in his opening round against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

Lloyd Harris says victory over Dominic Thiem is a “special feeling”

Sharing his thoughts on the match, the South African, currently ranked 81st in singles, said it’s a “special feeling” to have beaten a player he has looked up to. “I’m super, super happy with that win. I look up to Domi (Thiem) a lot, so for me it’s a special feeling,” Harris said.

He added that the win over the Austrian has come as a thumping endorsement of how he is being able to raise the level of his game match after match, even against more fancied opponents.

He said that the upset win, coming on the back of his recent run of wins, will boost his confidence not only going into the future games in Dubai but tournaments that follow.

Harris will take on Serb Filip Krajinovic later on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Just the fact that I’m playing good tennis match in, match out now is giving me a lot of confidence,” the 24-year-old South African said.

Harris reached the fourth-round in Doha before going down to eventual losing finalist Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in three sets. The hugely promising South African also made the third round of this year’s Australian Open before losing to American Mackenzie McDonald.

Read More: “I’m in a Tough Period”: Dominic Thiem After Crashing Out of Dubai Tennis Championships 2021