Madris Open: Harris shocks Dimitrov in opening round

Hanging tough: Harris kept his nerve to overcome Dimitrov in three sets. (Source: Getty Images)

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov fell in the first round of the Madrid Open on Monday after losing in three sets to South African Lloyd Harris.

Harris, who beat World No. 4 Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov en route to the final in Dubai in March, pulled off another upset by ousting Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5).

The World No. 54 held off a late fightback from 13th seed Dimitrov, who saved three match points in the final set before breaking back to force a tie-break. “It was an up and down match, I had a set and a break, then I was a break up in the third too,” said Harris. “I got a little bit nervous at the end, but I was happy to close it out.”

Two-time quarterfinalist John Isner battled past Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 7-6(6) while 11th seed Shapovalov defeated another Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-3.

In doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Shapovalov got past Marc Lopez and Jaume Munar 7-6(4), 6-4 in the first round. The Indo-Canadian pair will challenge the top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah of Colombia in the pre-quarterfinals.

Kvitova made to sweat

In the women's draw, Petra Kvitova, the champion in 2011, 2015 and 2018, had to work hard to beat Russia's Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals.

The results: Men (first round): John Isner bt Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 7-6(6); Aslan Karatsev bt Ugo Humbert 7-5, 6-4; Lloyd Harris bt Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5); Dominik Koepfer bt Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4; Daniel Evans bt Jeremy Chardy 7-6(6), 6-7(7), 6-2; Carlos Alcaraz bt Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-0.

Women (round-of-16): Petra Kvitova bt Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Belinda Bencic bt Ons Jabeur 7-6(2), 4-3, retd.