Jannik Sinner defeats Ben Shelton, set to meet Djokovic in semifinals
Jannik Sinner displayed a focused performance in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over eighth-seeded Ben Shelton, extending his winning streak to 19 matches at Melbourne Park.
This is a remarkable streak, surpassed only by his semifinal rival, Novak Djokovic, at the Australian Open.
Djokovic advanced after benefiting from Lorenzo Musetti’s unfortunate injury while leading two sets to none. Sinner acknowledged his own fortune in remaining in the tournament, having dealt with cramps and struggling during his third-round match until the roof was closed, which revitalized him for the remainder of the contest.
The drama of Sinner’s third-round match now feels like a distant past as the two-time defending champion easily overcame the powerful-serving Shelton. This marked his third victory against the American in their last five Grand Slam encounters.
“It’s very challenging to compete against Ben,” Sinner remarked. “He has a massive serve, and I believe he is improving significantly each year. I am very pleased with my performance today. I felt my returns were excellent.”
For the third time in the last four majors, he faces Djokovic in the semifinals. Sinner holds a 6-4 advantage in their head-to-head record, having won their last five meetings, which include the semifinals at the 2024 Australian Open and at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year.
Regarding his matchup with Djokovic, the 24-year-old stated: “These are the moments for which you train; you wake up each morning looking forward to hopefully playing a good match. We are fortunate to have Novak still competing at such a high level at his age. I hope it will be a fantastic contest.”
Sinner’s strengths are well-known to Djokovic, who has not won a set against the Italian since their encounter two years ago in Melbourne.
These strengths were evident against Shelton—another player who must be frustrated by Sinner’s dominance—in the night match at Rod Laver Arena. After winning their first meeting in the fall of 2023, Shelton has lost all nine subsequent encounters, failing to secure a set in four Grand Slam matches.
The challenge for Shelton lies in the fact that his primary weapon—a serve capable of reaching 150 mph—plays directly into Sinner’s exceptional return game.
Shelton delivered a serve clocked at 144 mph, the fastest of the tournament, during his opening service game but faced pressure throughout the first set, where Sinner recorded 18 winners and only four unforced errors.
Sinner has been working on adding more variety to his game, and he executed a shot inspired by rival Carlos Alcaraz by sliding a winner around the net post in the fourth game, breaking Shelton for the first time.
While he could not sustain the same level of play in the following two sets, Sinner’s superiority was never in doubt, and a fourth consecutive Grand Slam final against Alcaraz is now on the horizon.
The top four seeds have advanced to the semifinals in the men’s draw, with No. 1 Alcaraz and No. 3 Alexander Zverev set to clash in the other semifinal.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
Source: espn.com
