Novak Djokovic, who entered the Italian Open after recovering from a shoulder injury, suffered a shock second-round exit at the Italian Open on Friday after going down 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic. The 24-time Grand Slam winner was returning to action for the first time since his round-of-16 loss at the Indian Wells Open in March, having skipped tournaments in the Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, and Madrid Open.
Novak Djokovic comfortably won the first set
Despite comfortably winning the opening set, Djokovic struggled to maintain momentum as Prizmic made a solid comeback. The 38-year-old Serbian star, who was seen wearing a shoulder brace during the match, appeared far from his dominant best in Rome, where he has previously won six titles. Prizmic started the opening set with multiple errors, which helped Djokovic take the first set, but the Croatian quickly settled into the contest and turned the match around.
Dino Prizmic won four consecutive games early in the second set
However, Djokovic gradually began to look uncertain with his shot-making as the match progressed, while Dino Prizmic raised his level significantly. Prizmic won four consecutive games early in the second set, pushing the world number four under constant pressure.
Prizmic arrived in Rome with a career-best ranking of 79 after a good run in the Madrid Open, where he made the third round and stunned world number six Ben Shelton. He also beat Marton Fucsovics to set up the clash against Djokovic. The 20-year-old reached the third round of a second consecutive Masters 1000 event and registered the biggest win of his career to date.
Dino Prizmic has always considered Novak Djokovic as his idol, making the victory even more special for the young Croatian. Following the biggest win of his career, Prizmic will take on Ugo Humbert or Vit Kopriva as he aims to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career.
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