Dino Prizmic might only be 18, but he showed Monday he is ready to compete against some of the best players in the world.
The #NextGenATP star defeated sixth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-5 to reach the second round of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open. It was the Croatian’s third tour-level victory.
“I’m very happy about my performance today,” Prizmic said in his on-court interview. “I just want to say thanks to everyone who came here and supported this match because it means a lot to players. Thanks to everyone.”
WHAT A WIN ⚡️
Dino Prizmic earns the biggest win of his career after defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-3 7-5 in Stockholm! 👏#StockholmOpen
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 16, 2023
Prizmic successfully neutralised one of the most powerful baseliners on the ATP Tour, winning 41 per cent of his return points and breaking the Czech’s serve three times. He will next face home favourite Elias Ymer, who defeated former Top 10 player Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes.
“I will try just to play my best tennis and try to enjoy every match,” Prizmic said. “I don’t want to give to myself big pressure. I just want to play my best tennis and enjoy every moment.”
Italian Lorenzo Sonego won a tight battle against Serbian Dusan Lajovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and 19 minutes. The 28-year-old now leads Lajovic 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and has won three consecutive meetings against the 33-year-old. It was their first clash since 2020.
Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic also moved on with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Swedish wild card Karl Friberg. He will try to upset top seed Holger Rune in the second round.
In the doubles draw, Francisco Cabral and Henry Patten beat Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 7-6(3), 6-4.
Did You Know?
Prizmic is 18th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The Croatian can move into contention for a place at the Next Gen ATP Finals with a deep run in Stockholm.
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