Novak Djokovic’s quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title has got off to a bumpy start after he overcame rising star Dino Prizmic in a four-set battle at the Australian Open.
The world No.1 was pushed to his limits at times during his 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, win over the 18-year-old who was making his Grand Slam debut. Prizmic is the reigning French Open boys champion and had to come through three rounds of qualifying to book his showdown with Djokovic in Melbourne. Despite the significant difference in experience between the two, Djokovic was made to work hard for his win after being kept on the court for just over four hours which is the longest first round match he has ever played at a major event.
“He deserves every applause and every credit that he got tonight. He’s an amazing player. So mature for his age,” the 24-time major winner said in praise of his young opponent.
“He handled himself on the court incredibly well. It could have been his match, he was a breakup in the third set.’
“He made me really run for my money tonight and honestly, I have many compliments for him. An amazing performance from somebody who is 18 and has never had any experience of playing on a big stage. Big kudos to him and his team.”
Taking on a player who was born six months after he made his Australian Open debut in 2005, Djokovic cruised through the first set with relative ease. The top seed inflicted his first blow in the opening game where he broke Prizmic before sealing a double break a couple of games later. Between those breaks, proceedings on The Rod Laver Arena were briefly halted when the Croat took a medical timeout for treatment on his upper left leg. Nevertheless, it didn’t disrupt Djokovic’s momentum who sealed a 6-2 lead with an ace.
Djokovic began to be tested early on in the second frame where he received a time violation before a blistering forehand winner from Prizmic enabled the youngster to break for the first time for a 3-1 lead. Despite clawing his way back to level immediately, he was facing an increasingly confident Prizmic who produced his best tennis on the main stage. With little to separate the two, in the tiebreak it was the underdog who unexpectedly came out on top. Benefitting from a series of Djokovic mistakes, he surged to a 6-2 lead before holding his nerve to level the match after winning a gut-busting 21-shot rally.
The tussle continued into a roller-coaster third set where five out of the first eight games played saw a break of serve (two for Djokovic and three for Prizmic). Battling hard, the Serbian managed to eventually wear down his rival to move ahead 5-3. Shortly after that, he made a gesture to the crowd by putting his finger behind his ear in response to the cheers. At times during the match, he complained to the umpire about a few fans who were being loud. Back in the front, he let out an almighty roar after sealing a two-set lead.
Weathering the storm, the 10-time champion closed in on victory as his gutsy opponent began to suffer from the physical effects of their clash but refused to give up until the last point.
“I started well for a 36-year-old. When you think about it I’m double his age!” Djokovic joked.
“I’m trying to enjoy every moment on the court. I struggled in many moments tonight but credit to him due to his incredible game plan.’
“I had good moments. In some moments I wish I could have played better, maybe played a bit more aggressively.”
Djokovic has now won 90 matches at the Australian Open which is the second-highest achieved in the Open Era by a male player after Roger Federer. In the next round, he will play either Marc Polmans or Alexi Popryin who will play against each other on Monday.
