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Dino Prizmic just set an insane record, and he did it by beating Novak Djokovic!
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- Dino Prizmic just set an insane record, and he did it by beating Novak Djokovic!
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic’s Italian Open run came to an abrupt halt after a surprising defeat to world number 79 Dino Prizmic.
The Croat, who made his way into the main draw through qualifying, rallied from a set down to beat the 24-time Grand Slam winner 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
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Next up for the young Croat is Ugo Humbert. This will be their first meeting on tour.
Prizmic’s win over Djokovic has already set him apart in ATP history.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Dino Prizmic makes ATP history after stunning Novak Djokovic
Opta Ace reports that Prizmic is the first qualifier and the lowest-ranked player ever to come from behind and beat Djokovic in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
He’s also one of just a handful of under-21 players to take down a former champion at the Italian Open since 2000.
Prizmic joined a short list by beating the six-time title holder, with Marat Safin, Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune being the others to accomplish it.
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The Croatian has been putting together a run of notable wins lately. Back at the Madrid Open in April, he took down former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and fourth seed Ben Shelton.
The Italian Open third round marks his best result at this level so far, matching his previous performance in Madrid.
Novak Djokovic shares a message to Dino Prizmic on social media after Italian Open loss
After the match, Djokovic took to social media to send a message to his Italian Open conqueror, who is 18 years his junior.
On his Instagram story, Djokovic said: “Congratulations, Dino. Good luck moving forward.”
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It was not the first time Djokovic and Prizmic had clashed on the tour, with the two having battled it out at the 2024 Australian Open.
In the first round at Melbourne Park that year, Prizmic tested Djokovic, forcing the legend to four sets. Djokovic ultimately came out on top in that battle before going on to reach the semifinals.
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