Prizmic’s Steady Climb Tops Berrettini in Madrid Heat

In the sun-baked intensity of Manolo Santana Stadium, Dino Prizmic delivered a poised 6-3, 6-4 takedown of Matteo Berrettini, capping his third straight win at the Mutua Madrid Open. The 20-year-old Croatian, who scraped through two qualifying rounds, turned the high-altitude clay into his ally, breaking once per set with crosscourt forehands that pinned the Italian deep. This marked just his second ATP Masters 1000 main-draw victory, a breakthrough that silenced doubts and amplified his rising profile on the red dirt.

Berrettini, the 2021 Madrid finalist and former World No. 6, unleashed booming serves but couldn’t escape Prizmic’s relentless baseline pressure, his heavy topspin looping just long under the thin air’s erratic bounce. The Croat won 79 per cent (26/33) of first-serve points, blending flat backhands with occasional inside-out redirects to stretch the court wide. As the crowd’s energy shifted from polite applause to building roars, Prizmic’s focus held firm, his movement crisp despite the cumulative toll of matches.

Qualifying battles sharpen clay edge

Prizmic’s Madrid run started Monday with a grueling three-hour, 22-minute qualifier against Christopher O’Connell, a test that forged his sliding footwork on the slower surface. By Wednesday, that endurance paid off, allowing him to absorb Berrettini’s power and counter with deep, topspin returns that forced errors in extended rallies. The psychological boost from those early wins—his third in three days—transformed fatigue into a quiet confidence, especially after his Top 100 debut this month, up seven spots to No. 80 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings following the upset.

Memories of taking a set off Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open and competing at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals lingered, reminders of his poise against elite pressure. On Madrid’s blue clay, where balls sail faster due to altitude, Prizmic leaned on a consistent 1–2 pattern, serve into heavy forehand, to dictate tempo without overreaching. His all-around display not only neutralized Berrettini’s serve-volley probes but hinted at a maturing game ready for deeper runs.

Shelton matchup tests fresh resolve

Next awaits a debut head-to-head with fourth seed Ben Shelton, the American fresh off his first ATP 500 clay title in Munich, where his lefty spin and net aggression dismantled foes. Prizmic, battle-hardened from qualifiers, eyes the clash with pragmatic optimism, knowing Shelton’s recent form adds firepower to an already explosive serve. “It’s very tough, because I already played two matches in qualies, but it is what it is,” Prizmic said. “I just tried, also yesterday, to prepare as much as I can. I’m happy about my game today.”

The Croat’s extra court time could counter Shelton’s rhythm, extending points on clay where consistency often trumps raw pace, potentially disrupting the American’s aggressive lines with down-the-line passes. Madrid’s altitude might amplify Shelton’s inside-in forehands, but Prizmic’s adaptation—honed through the week’s grind—positions him to probe weaknesses in longer exchanges. This second-round pivot carries emotional weight, pitting the underdog’s grit against the favorite’s surge in a draw alive with clay-court intrigue.

Veterans and upstarts stir the draw

Marin Cilic rallied from a set down to edge Zizou Bergs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, the 2014 US Open champion summoning veteran savvy for a fresh challenge against 27th seed and #NextGenATP Brazilian star Joao Fonseca. In an all-American scrap, Emiliano Nava outlasted Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 7-5, advancing to meet 14th seed Valentin Vacherot, his steady returns a quiet weapon amid transatlantic jet lag. Ignacio Buse cruised past Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-2, setting up a test with 21st seed and last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils, where flat groundstrokes might blunt the Frenchman’s variety.

Vit Kopriva overwhelmed Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 6-0, earning a shot at 2024 champion Andrey Rublev, his swift clay adjustments signaling a breakout threat. Damir Dzumhur grinded out a 6-2, 6-4 win over Mattia Bellucci to face 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor, the Bosnian’s resilience a counter to the Dutchman’s baseline depth. Jan-Lennard Struff, the 2023 Madrid finalist, powered through Alexandre Muller 7-6(3), 6-0, his tiebreak poise blending into second-set dominance on home soil.

These Wednesday results pulse with the tournament’s core tension: young talents like Prizmic forging paths through qualifiers, veterans like Cilic drawing on experience, all navigating clay’s demands toward a French Open buildup. For the Croat, this upset isn’t an endpoint but a launch, his mental steel tested anew against Shelton’s heat, promising rallies that could redefine his season’s arc.