In his pursuit of a historic 25th Grand Slam title and an 11th victory in Melbourne, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic faced a formidable challenge in the first round against 18-year-old Croatian, Prizmic. The Serbian maestro secured a hard-fought victory with a 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 win, marking his longest first-round match in a Grand Slam, lasting four hours and one minute.
Despite revealing he wasn’t operating at full capacity, Djokovic acknowledged the resilience of his youthful opponent, describing the encounter as akin to “playing myself in a mirror.” Djokovic, who extended his Australian Open winning streak to 29 consecutive matches, commended Prizmic’s mentality and maturity in his Grand Slam debut.
“I am a bit under the weather, [I have been for the last] four or five days. You can probably judge by my voice. It is what it is. You just have to try and deal with it, get over it, accept the circumstances and try to make the most of it,” Djokovic remarked about his health.
Impressed by Prizmic’s performance, Djokovic highlighted the young player’s fighting spirit, especially when trailing 4-0 in the fourth set. “He played so maturely and confidently on the court, fighting through, not giving up,” Djokovic noted, emphasizing Prizmic’s strong mentality and approach to the game.
Speaking about Prizmic’s potential, Djokovic expressed optimism about the Croatian’s future in tennis, saying, “If he continues this way, he’s going to have a very bright career ahead of him.” The Serb praised Prizmic’s discipline, dedication to routines, and physical strength at such a young age, foreseeing a successful journey in the sport for the talented debutant.
Reflecting on the challenging match, Djokovic commented on the intense rallies, describing the game as a “very physical” encounter. He acknowledged the similarity between their playing styles, noting, “It felt at some point I was playing myself in a mirror already.” Djokovic also mentioned Prizmic’s admiration for him while growing up, highlighting the young player’s incredible defense, particularly on the backhand side, and an all-round game.
Respect🤝@AustralianOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Hc7yvdDm03
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 14, 2024
As Djokovic advances in the Australian Open despite health setbacks, the tennis world eagerly awaits the unfolding drama and potential historic milestones in the remainder of the tournament.
Djokovic at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2024
WWWWLWWLWL Now the world no.1, Djokovic has managed to achieve a 3-1 match record in 2024. Novak is participating at the Australian Open where he ousted the world no.187 Dino Prizmic 6-2 6-75 6-3 6-4.
Novak Djokovic will face the world no.43 Alexei Popyrin in the 2nd round. Their current head to head is 1-0 for Djokovic.
The Serbian won 98 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 19 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play at the Wimbledon (Wimbledon) on the 1st of July and U.S. Open (U.S. Open) on the 26th of August.
Dino Prizmic in 2024
LWLLWLLWWL Now the world no.187, the Croatian played his last match on the 14th of January when he was overcome by world no.1 Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 in the 1st round of the Australian Open (draw).
This year Dino owns an overall 4-2 record.
Novak Djokovic and Dino Prizmic fought against each other just 1 time. Their actual record is 1-0 for Djokovic. When they played, Novak Djokovic won 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 in the 1st round in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 14th of January 2024.
Here are the highlights.
