ZCZC
BSP-01
TENNIS-ATP-USA
World No. 789 Harrison ousts Delray Beach top seed Garin
DELRAY BEACH, United States, Jan 10, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – World number 789 Christian Harrison upset Chilean top seed Cristian Garin 7-6 97/3), 6-2 on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open.
The 26-year-old American collected only his fourth career ATP match victory, and second of the week, by dispatching his 22nd-ranked South American foe in 90 minutes.
Harrison, whose eight career injuries include both hips and legs, advanced to a Monday last-eight matchup against Italy’s Gianluca Mager, who ousted US sixth seed Sam Querrey 7-6 (10/8), 6-1.
“I love what I’m doing,” Harrison said. “I just can’t wait to keep playing and hopefully have a good healthy next couple of years.”
Harrison became the second lowest-ranked quarterfinalist since the tournament began in 1993, with only Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, the injury-nagged 2009 US Open champion, worse at 1,042nd in 2016.
“He played well,” Garin said. “He played really flat, really fast. The ball helps his game a lot and I hope he can play like this the rest of the year.”
Garin, who won his fourth and most recent ATP title last February at Rio, denied Harrison on three set points in the 12th game of the first set and jumped ahead 3-1 in the tie-breaker, but dropped the next six points, the last on a Harrison backhand winner to surrender the set.
“I just thought about just going to play each point,” Harrison said. “Obviously he’s a very proven player. There are going to be times when he puts together a bunch of good points.”
Mager, who was the 2020 Rio runner-up to Garin, took the tie-break and breezed from there to defeat the 2016 Delray champion. He will try to complete a Harrison family sweep after defeating Christian’s brother, Ryan Harrison, in the first round.
US second seed John Isner was to face Brazilian left-hander Thiago Monteiro and US fifth seed Tommy Paul was set to meet compatriot Sebastian Korda in later second-round matches.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0727 hrs