Novak Djokovic spent 4 hours getting used to Dino Prizmic’s game in the first round of the Australian Open, Melbourne, 2024 season.
“I love the way he uses every inch of the pitch. “He felt comfortable on it, he defended incredibly well,” commented Djokovic about Prizmic, who gave the Serbian the longest first round match of his career.
“Just a stunning performance from someone who is 18 years old and has never had the experience of playing on such a big stage.”
“Congratulations to him and his team, and I definitely want to train with him, so hopefully he will invite me because he is going to do great things in his career.”
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The world number 1 maintained his perfect record against qualifiers at Grand Slams (25-0) after beating Prizmic in four sets in the first round of the Australian Open. However, he was not completely surprised by the level shown by the 18-year-old on his Grand Slam debut.
“I had an amazing opponent,” Novak Djokovic continued. “For an 18-year-old, he played with maturity and confidence on the court, fighting hard, never giving up even when he was four games down in the fourth set. Impressed with his mentality, approach and game.”
“I heard a lot of positive things about his discipline, his dedication to a daily routine that made him so physically strong at such a young age. If he continues, he will have a bright career, no doubt.”
Despite a shaky start to the first match of the 2024 Australian Open season, Prizmic found his rhythm. As he raised his level of play, the world number 1 felt a strange similarity in his opponent’s game.
“I played a shaky game in the second set. Gave him breaks, but I could feel that he was starting to feel more comfortable, he wasn’t missing much. There were some fierce rallies, very energy-intensive games. 4 hours for four sets. “At one point, I felt I was competing against myself in front of the mirror,” explained Djokovic.
“I heard he enjoyed watching me when he grew up. He has impressive defense, especially from the backhand. A comprehensive game. Sure, he has every shot in the game to improve. For an 18 year old tennis player, I think I was most impressed with his physical condition. His legs are very strong and solid. Also his mentality. He comes out not only with the desire to play a good set or enjoy the experience, but the desire to win it. That’s impressive.”
