ROME, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Six-time champion Novak Djokovic suffered a shock second-round exit at the Italian Open on Friday after falling to Croatian youngster Dino Prizmic. Sixth seed Alex de Minaur was also eliminated, while former champions Alexander Zverev, Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek advanced to the third round.
It was the first meeting between Djokovic and Prizmic since the 2024 Australian Open. Djokovic took control early in the opening set, breaking in the sixth game with a forehand winner after constructing the point with a delicate drop shot and volley combination, before sealing the set 6-2.
Prizmic responded strongly in the second set as Djokovic's first-serve effectiveness dipped. The Croatian raced to a 4-0 lead and leveled the match with a 6-2 set before securing a decisive break in the fifth game of the third set on his way to a 6-4 victory, denying Djokovic a place in the last 32.
Djokovic said after the match that he did not think he had played poorly overall, although he admitted he was "half a step late." The Serbian also praised Prizmic's performance, saying the Croatian had "definitely performed high-level tennis" and that his forehand had improved significantly since their previous meeting.
In other men's singles round of 64 matches, second seed Zverev defeated fellow German Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3. De Minaur, meanwhile, lost to Italian wildcard Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-7 (5), 4-6 after a hard-fought three-set contest.
In the women's draw, second seed Rybakina swept past Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1, while three-time Rome champion Swiatek needed two hours and 43 minutes to overcome American Caty McNally 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
Tenth seed Victoria Mboko of Canada withdrew from the tournament on Friday due to a gastrointestinal illness and was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Nikola Bartunkova.
On Saturday, China's Zheng Qinwen will face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the women's singles third round, while home favorite and world number one Jannik Sinner will begin his Rome campaign. ■
