Dino Prizmic followed up knocking out Novak Djokovic from the Italian Open by beating France’s Ugo Humbert 6-1, 7-5 on Sunday to reach the last 16 in Rome.
Prizmic had to qualify for the main draw but the Croatian player looks like he could be a contender after another brilliant display of power and precision on clay.
The 20-year-old raced into a 5-0 lead in the first set, which he closed out in just 28 minutes against a shellshocked Humbert, who was seeded 31st.
Such was Prizmic’s dominance in the first set that he could even afford to try a trick shot between his legs and give up a point in game six.
Humbert battled back in the second set but after he gave up his serve for the third time in game 11 Prizmic closed out on his second match point.
After his superb performance on the Pietrangeli court Prizmic will face 13th seed Karen Khachanov in the next round.
“I just want to play my game and to be myself on the court and we will see,” Prizmic later told reporters.
“Maybe for me the goal is to be top 30 at the end of the year but I just want to stay healthy and to play as much as I can.”
As it stands Prizmic will already be up 11 places to 68th come Monday week, just before the start of the French Open, after his best ever performance in a Master 1000 tournament.
Zverev eases through
Alexander Zverev kept up his bid for a third title at the Foro Italico with a straight-sets win over Alexander Blockx, 6-1, 6-4 on centre court where the threat of rain looms large.
Second seed Zverev, who was heavily beaten by Jannik Sinner in the Madrid final last weekend, will face Italy’s Luciano Darderi, who beat Tommy Paul 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the fourth round.
Zverev barely had to get out of second gear against Blockx, who was beaten in the Madrid semis by Zverev.
The German, who won the men’s singles title in the Italian capital in 2017 and 2024, is on the same side of the draw as Prizmic.
“There’s a lot of young guys who are playing great tennis. He’s definitely one of them,” he said.
“But I’m going to go match by match, I think that’s the most important thing, not to look too far ahead and focus on the things that you can control.”
Home hope Lorenzo Musetti will face clay court specialist Casper Ruud in the last 16 after winning a tough match with Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.
Musetti was in tears at the end of a clash which featured 81 unforced errors, and told Sky Sport that wasn’t right physically without specifying what was wrong.
Osaka eyes Swiatek clash
Naomi Osaka will face three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek in the last 16 of the women’s tournament after easily seeing off Diana Schnaider 6-1, 6-2.
The four-time Grand Slam winner beat her Russian opponent in just 54 minutes to equal her best result of a difficult season in which she was knocked out of Indian Wells and Madrid at the same stage by Aryna Sabalenka.
But with Sabalenka suffering a shock early elimination on Saturday, 15th seed Osaka could yet be a contender.
She will play Swiatek on Tuesday after the Pole swept aside Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in just over an hour.
“For me those matches are the most fun. I’m excited at the thought,” said Osaka of a clash with Swiatek.
Pole Swiatek suffered her earliest exit in five appearances in Madrid last month when she retired in the third round due to a viral illness.
She was knocked out at the same stage in Rome last year as defending champion and took nearly three hours to win her opening match against Caty McNally.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, has not won a clay tournament since capturing the last of her four French Open titles in 2024.
Source: Khaleej Times