SA's Lloyd Harris upsets Italian 17th seed in 5-set epic at Australian Open

South African tennis ace Lloyd Harris scored an upset win in the Australian Open first round on Monday when he eliminated Italian 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti.

Harris won a thrilling five-set encounter 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (0/7), 2-6, 7-6 (10/4) in three hours and 48 minutes.

The 25-year-old Capetonian appeared to be coasting when he led by two sets and 4-1 in the third set, before the Italian fought back to take the match the distance.

After losing the fourth set 6-2, Harris regrouped and took an early break in the decider. But he dropped serve at 4-2 in the fifth set before the match went to a deciding tie-break. 

Harris held his nerve to win the tie-break handsomely, 10-4.

This is a significant win for Harris, who has had a tough time of late after a wrist injury saw him miss the second half of the 2022 season.

The former world No 31 was ranked No 186 in the world prior to the Australian Open and he entered the event on a protected ranking because of his injury.

Harris spent his time warming up for the year's first Grand Slam by playing Challenger Tour events.

He will next play Hungary's world No 78 Marton Fucsovics, who took out Argentina's Federico Coria 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.

Collated results from day one of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park on Monday:

Men's singles

First round

Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Jack Draper (GBR) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1

Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-7 (10/12), 6-4

Dalibor Svrcina (CZE) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN x31) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5

Karen Khachanov (RUS x18) bt Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-0

Jason Kubler (AUS) bt Sebastian Baez (ARG) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Shang Juncheng (CHN) bt Oscar Otte (GER) 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5

Frances Tiafoe (USA x16) bt Daniel Altmaier (GER) 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6)

Hubert Hurkacz (POL x10) bt Pedro Martinez (ESP) 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-2

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Nuno Borges (POR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-1

Taro Daniel (JPN) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Denis Shapovalov (CAN x20) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Sebastian Korda (USA x29) bt Christian Garin (CHI) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2

Yosuke Watanuki (JPN) bt Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

John Millman (AUS) bt Marc-Andrea Huesler (SUI) 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-3

Daniil Medvedev (x7) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 6-0, 6-1, 6-2

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x3) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)

Tallon Griekspoor (NED) bt Pavel Kotov (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3

Botic van de Zandschulp (NED x32) bt Ilya Ivashka (BLR) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Lorenzo Musetti (ITA x17) 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (0/7), 2-6, 7-6 (10/4)

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

Tomas Etcheverry (ARG) bt Gregoire Barrere (FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Jannik Sinner (ITA x15) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2

Cameron Norrie (GBR x11) bt Luca Van Assche (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 6-3

Constant Lestienne (FRA) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3

Christopher Eubanks (USA) bt Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Jiri Lehecka (CZE) bt Borna Coric (CRO x21) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Francisco Cerundolo (ARG x28) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Wu Yibing (CHN) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5

Alex Molcan (SVK) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x6) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3

Women's singles

First round

Iga Swiatek (POL x1) bt Jule Niemeier (GER) 6-4, 7-5

Maria Camila Osorio (COL) bt Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-4, 6-1

Cristina Bucsa (ESP) bt Eva Lys (GER) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2

Bianca Andreescu (CAN) bt Marie Bouzkova (CZE x25) 6-2, 6-4

Elena Rybakina (KAZ x22) bt Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) 7-5, 6-3

Kaja Juvan (SLO) bt Selena Janicijevic (FRA) 7-5, 6-1

Karolina Muchova (CZE) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-1

Danielle Collins (USA x13) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4

Caty McNally (USA) bt Laura Pigossi (BRA) 7-5, 6-1

Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) bt Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 6-1

Anna Bondar (HUN) bt Ana Bogdan (ROM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x17) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 6-4, 6-2

Zheng Qinwen (CHN x29) bt Dalma Galfi (HUN) 6-0, 6-2

Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

Emma Raducanu (GBR) bt Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-3, 6-2

Coco Gauff (USA x7) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-1, 6-4

Jessica Pegula (USA x3) bt Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) 6-0, 6-1

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 7-5, 6-2

Olivia Gadecki (AUS) bt Polina Kudermetova (RUS) 7-5, 6-1

Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA x28) 6-3, 6-4

Barbora Krejcikova (CZE x20) bt Sara Bejlek (CZE) 6-3, 6-1

Clara Burel (FRA) bt Talia Gibson (AUS) 6-3, 6-4

Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3, 6-1

Petra Kvitova (CZE x15) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

Madison Keys (USA x10) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Wang Xinyu (CHN) bt Storm Sanders (AUS) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Nadia Podoroska (ARG) bt Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) 6-0, 6-3

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x24) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Jil Teichmann (SUI x32) bt Harriet Dart (GBR) 7-5, 6-1

Zhu Lin (CHN) bt Rebecca Marino (CAN) 6-2, 6-4

Diana Shnaider (RUS) bt Kristina Kucova (SVK) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5

Maria Sakkari (GRE x6) bt Yuan Yue (CHN) 6-1, 6-4