Dino Prizmic knows no limits this week in Madrid. Just 48 hours after ousting Matteo Berrettini in the opening round, the 20-year-old Croatian raised the bar even higher by eliminating fourth seed Ben Shelton in a three-hour thriller, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
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The first set followed the expected script. Shelton, riding high after his Munich title last week, broke serve to close it out 6-4. But Prizmic shifted gears in the second set, excelling in longer rallies and punishing every opening. He leveled the match 6-3 with authority.
The decider lived up to every expectation. Neither player was broken — remarkably, Prizmic did not face a single break point throughout the entire match. In the tiebreak, the qualifier found another level, striking with stunning confidence to seal the first top-10 victory of his career.
At twenty, the 2023 Roland Garros boys' champion climbs to world No. 77 in the live rankings. His Madrid run — qualifier, Berrettini scalp, Shelton scalp — traces the trajectory of a player refusing to settle for supporting roles. Next up: the winner of Fonseca vs. Cilic for a spot in the round of 16.
For Shelton, this early exit is a setback after a brilliant April. His Munich title had launched his clay season on the best possible tracks. Madrid served as a reminder that on this surface, pedigree offers no protection against a hungry young challenger.
