In the early hours of Friday, the ATP1000 Rome Masters wrapped up its third day of action. The standout match of the second round saw 20-year-old Croatian qualifier Duje Prizmic pull off a stunning 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback victory over six-time champion Novak Djokovic, advancing to the round of 32. Prizmic became the first Croatian to beat Djokovic on clay.
During the post-match press conference, the Serb declined to address questions about a potential stomach issue or shoulder problem, stating, “I hope you understand, I’m not going to talk about that.” However, he acknowledged a recurring pattern of physical setbacks before Grand Slams in recent years, saying he must face reality and handle the situation. According to latest reports, Djokovic will skip further clay-court tune-ups and head straight to Roland Garros.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Belgian rising star Alexander Blockx fought back to beat Dutch No. 1 Tallon Griekspoor 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, setting up a rematch with German star Alexander Zverev, who defeated compatriot Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3. The two faced off in the Madrid Masters semifinals last week, where Zverev won in straight sets.
Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar continued his impressive run, dispatching Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the third round. Other winners included Tommy Paul, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien, Francisco Cerundolo, Jiri Lehecka, Casper Ruud, Matteo Arnaldi, and Karen Khachanov.
On the women’s side, the WTA1000 Rome second round featured three-time champion Iga Swiatek battling past American Robin Montgomery 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 in a tough three-setter. Former champion Elena Rybakina looked dominant, easing past Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 to open her campaign. She will next face Filipino No. 1 Alexandra Eala, who earlier eliminated Chinese player Wang Xinyu.
Karolina Pliskova, Laura Siegemund, Naomi Osaka, Diana Shnaider, Jessica Pegula, Anastasia Potapova, Liudmila Samsonova, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Elina Svitolina, Hailey Baptiste, and Madison Keys all advanced to the third round. Canadian teen Victoria Mboko withdrew due to illness.
The Rome doubles draw was released, featuring five Chinese players. First-round matchups include: Zhang Shuai/Kirsten Meltens vs. Hsieh Su-wei/Wang Xinyu, and Jiang Xinyu/Xu Yifan vs. Anna Danilina/Yulia Putintseva. Best of luck to the Chinese stars!
Turning to domestic action, at the ATP Challenger in Wuxi, China’s Cui Jie battled past Japan’s Ryo Noguchi 7-6(3), 7-6(4) to reach the semifinals. He will face fellow Chinese player Bu Yunchaokete, who crushed top seed Australian Adam Walton 6-2, 6-0.
At the WTA125 Jiangxi Tennis Open, all four Chinese players—three from the mainland and one from Taiwan—won their quarterfinal matches, securing a clean sweep of the semifinal spots. The matchups: Yao Xinxin vs. You Xiaodi, and Bai Zhuoxuan vs. Liang En-shuo.
