US Open 2021: Karen Khachanov vs Lloyd Harris preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (25) Karen Khachanov vs Lloyd Harris

Date: 31 August 2021

Tournament: 2021 US Open

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $40,560,000

Match timing: 11 am local time, 3 pm GMT, 08:30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

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Karen Khachanov vs Lloyd Harris preview

25th seed Karen Khachanov will face the unseeded Lloyd Harris on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2021 US Open.

After struggling for nearly two years, Khachanov seems to have found his feet again in the second half of 2021. The Russian made the last-eight at Wimbledon, matching his best Grand Slam performance, and was close to reaching the semis too; he led Denis Shapovalov by two sets to one before losing in five.

Building on the Wimbledon run, Karen Khachanov won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. That is arguably his best result since winning the Paris Masters back in 2018.

At last year's US Open, Khachanov was on the ropes against Jannik Sinner in the opening round. However, the latter's injury helped the Russian engineer a five-set win.

Lloyd Harris, meanwhile, is also coming into the US Open riding a wave of confidence. The 24-year-old recently got the biggest win of his career as he overcame the legendary Rafael Nadal in three sets at the Citi Open.

Lloyd Harris beat Nadal in Washington D.C.

Harris has been making steady strides up the rankings this year, and is currently at a career-best No. 46 in the world.

Karen Khachanov vs Lloyd Harris head-to-head

The upcoming first-round match at the US Open will be the first ever career meeting between Karen Khachanov and Lloyd Harris, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Karen Khachanov vs Lloyd Harris prediction

Karen Khachanov is one of the hardest hitters of the tennis ball. But the Russian believes more in smart point construction using consistent hitting than in aggressively going for winners.

The 25-year-old has one of the most powerful forehands on tour, which is his main weapon to dictate rallies. Khachanov can also, on his day, breeze through his service games using the serve-forehand combination.

The weakness in Khachanov's game lies in his lack of variety. The Russian's defense too, although improved since 2018, is prone to breaking down.

Lloyd Harris on his part has earned a reputation for being the tour's resident giant-killer this year. The South African's peculiar ball toss is especially difficult to read for the opponent while returning, and is a major reason for his strong serve stats.

This match has the potential to be an early epic of the US Open. We predict a five-setter, with Khachanov narrowly coming out on top due to his greater experience.

Prediction: Karen Khachanov to win in five sets.