Novak Djokovic hailed Dino Prizmic as a future star after his narrow 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win against the 18-year-old Croatian to reach the second round of the Australian Open. The world No 1 also admitted he has been under the weather for the past “four, five days” as he tries to win his 11th title here.
Djokovic expressed admiration for his opponent and acknowledged his impressive performance. He was impressed by the young player’s maturity and felt that it was his time to shine. Despite being behind in the match, he fought until the end.
“He displayed exceptional mindset and determination. He definitely pushed me to my limits. I have nothing but high praise and compliments for him.”
Although Djokovic had a strong start on Sunday evening, he soon found himself in a tough match against an opponent half his age. Prizmic, who narrowly won the second set tiebreak, had a break advantage of 3-2 in the third set. Despite facing the world’s best player and a renowned figure from their region, the Croat played boldly and kept up the pressure until the very end. Djokovic even gave him a standing ovation after the match for his impressive performance.
Djokovic expressed his desire to support and be a part of the success of his colleague, hoping for an invitation to join him as he achieves great things in his career.
On Sunday evening, Djokovic’s former coach Andre Agassi, a four-time champion in Australia, watched him play. Agassi is another player who had a successful career even in his 30s. Djokovic commented, “Considering I am 36 years old, I had a great start. When I think about it, I am twice Agassi’s age. It’s a harsh reality tonight. But I am trying to savor every moment on the court.”
Despite seeming to have recovered from his wrist problems, Djokovic acknowledged that he had been feeling unwell for the past few days in Melbourne. “I’ve been a bit sick for the last four or five days,” he shared. “You can probably tell by my voice. But, it is what it is. I just have to cope with it, overcome it, and accept the situation, and make the best of it.”
Bypass the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Aryna Sabalenka, ranked second, kicked off her title defense with a powerful performance, easily defeating German qualifier Ella Seidel 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.
