Jannik Sinner made quick work of Ben Shelton, advancing to the Australian Open semifinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory on Wednesday night at Rod Laver Arena. The two-time defending champion never allowed the eighth-seeded American a foothold, with Sinner extending his winning streak at the Australian Open to 19.
Shelton had made a strong run to the quarterfinals, rallying to push himself into the quarterfinals at the event for the third time in his career. But Shelton's main weapon—a serve that can reach speeds of 150 mph—plays to arguably Sinner's biggest strength in his extraordinary return, with Shelton sending down a serve of 144 mph, the fastest of the tournament, in his opening service game but was under pressure throughout a first set in which Sinner hit 18 winners and made only four unforced errors.
Sinner exposed Shelton's backhand, rushed him on the forehand wing and dictated from the baseline to improve his Lexus ATP Head2Head record to a commanding 9-1. This marks his third win against the American in the past five Slams. The dominance was complete: Sinner beat Shelton for the ninth straight time, with all his wins coming without conceding a set.
Up next for Sinner is a blockbuster semifinal matchup against 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who moved into the semi-finals of the Australian Open as his opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, was forced to retire while leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 in the pair's quarter-final clash. Sinner is aiming to complete a 'three-peat' Down Under, having won the title in both 2024 and 2025. The Italian is clearly riding high—Sinner has a 6-4 lead in his career against Djokovic, winning the past five matches, including the semifinals at the 2024 Australian Open and at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year.