Qualifier Prizmic Upsets Shelton, Michelsen and Nava Move on In Madrid
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, April 24, 2026
Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open Facebook
Americans Alex Michelsen and Emilio Nava extended inspired flights in Madrid.
Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic grounded Ben Shelton in a three-hour thriller, snapping Munich champion Shelton’s five-match clay-court winning streak at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The 20-year-old Prizmic did not face a break point toppling Shelton 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in a three hour, three-minute thriller on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium court.
It was Prizmic’s first career Top 10 win as he became the first Croatian man to earn a Top-10 clay-court win since Marin Cilic stopped world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev at the 2022 Roland Garros.
Playing bold drives down the line helped Prizmic win his first decisive tiebreaker at Tour-level today. The match was deadlocked at 4-all in the third-set tiebreaker when Prizmic spun a forehand winner down the line for the mini break and a 5-4 lead.
The world No. 87 narrowly missed a backhand down the line knotting the breaker at 5-all.
Credit the Croatian for continuing to take cracks at crunch time. Prizmic pounded a forehand down the line for a match point and closed a marathon win when Shelton netted a drop shot.
In the first round, Prizmic knocked off 2021 Madrid finalist Matteo Berrettini. Defusing Shelton today, Prizmic advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 third round where he will play either Sebastian Ofner or 25th-seeded Tomas Martin Etcheverry next.
Winless in 10 prior meetings vs. Top 20 opponents, Emilio Nava rose up in defiance for his biggest clay-court win today.
Nava saved three match points serving at 4-5 in the second set to spark a 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 6-3 upset win over 14th-seeded Valentin Vacherot.
In a gutsy serving display, Nava pumped 21 aces and saved 17 of 19 break points in a dramatic three-hour duel.
Nava, who beat compatriot Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 7-5 in his opener, played some of his most assertive tennis when down break points. Vacherot, who stunned the tennis world capturing the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship last fall, is a powerful player. Today, Nava cracked 60 winners, 37 more than Vacherot.
Surging into his maiden ATP Masters 1000 third round, Nava will play either red-hot Frenchman Arthur Fils or Ignacio Buse next.
SoCal native Alex Michelsen considers clay his least favorite surface.
Michelsen made fast tracks past former Madrid finalist Jan-Lennard Struff in a 6-2, 6-1 sweep he called one of his finest clay-court performances.
No. 33-seeded Michelsen served 70 percent, won 26 of 28 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a 57-minute sweep. Michelsen will meet 11th-seeded Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the round of 16.
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