Jannik Sinner is two wins away from entering rare Australian Open air, but must avoid an upset from one of his fellow members of tennis’ exciting next generation to make the final.
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Sinner is facing big-serving American lefty Ben Shelton in tonight’s semi-final, with the winner to face Alex Zverev in Sunday night’s title decider after he won the first set over Novak Djokovic and then saw the 24-time slam champion quit through injury.
And Shelton’s handedness proved critical in the opening game, able to slam a 160km/h forehand winner to break Sinner in a dream start.
“It was like he forgot he was playing a left-hander,” Todd Woodbridge said on Nine.
Follow Jannik Sinner vs Ben Shelton in the second men’s semi-final live below!
Shelton has never made a grand slam final while Sinner is on a 19-match winning streak on hard courts, and is 91-7 on all courts since losing to Shelton in three sets at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. That run includes four wins over Shelton.
The Italian can join a rare group of tennis’ greatest names if he repeats at Melbourne Park.
There are 14 men who have won multiple Australian Opens, but this century only the big three of Novak Djokovic (who now has 10), Roger Federer (six) and Rafael Nadal (two, in 2009 and 2022), plus Andre Agassi (two of his four), have done it.
Djokovic, Federer and Agassi are the only men who have defended the title in the last three decades.
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But Shelton, theoretically, has the power to threaten Sinner in a way Alex de Minaur did not in their one-sided quarter-final.
“I think it’s calculated risk. You have to choose your moments, still be confident in the things that you trust. I don’t think I’ll be redlining,” the 22-year-old said after beating Lorenzo Sonego in his own quarter-final.
“If anything, I’ve been, in terms of my baseline play, a bit more conservative this tournament, okay with going deep in rallies. Probably have to step that up a little bit in the semifinals.
“But I don’t think that ‘redlining’ would be the term. I think that a more aggressive game style, that’s taking the ball a little earlier or serve and volleying more or taking first ball line and running in instead of, you know, hitting five or six forehands in a row.
“I think that I’m figuring out ways to make guys uncomfortable without just playing at my upper limits and slapping.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN NIGHT 13 ORDER OF PLAY (All times AEDT)
Men’s Singles Semi-Finals
Rod Laver Arena
Not before 7:30pm
No.1 Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs No.21 Ben Shelton (USA)
22 y/o Ben Shelton makes second semis | 00:43
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