Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled through cramping in the third set and defeated Ben Shelton 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to reach the Australian Open final once again, as he aims for his third Grand Slam title.
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner, the 23-year-old Italian, found himself trailing in the opening set and was nearly defeated when Ben Shelton served at 6-5, but Sinner managed to break and then dominated the tiebreaker. He broke again at the start of the second set to take control.
“It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” Sinner remarked, extending his winning streak to 20 matches since the end of last season.
Shelton, a 22-year-old American, is now 0-2 in Grand Slam semifinals.
“I know I’m close,” Shelton said. “I know my level’s close.”
Sinner described the match against 21st-seeded Shelton at Melbourne Park as tense and filled with pressure.
“I’m really pleased with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner said.
The only issue he faced during the last two sets of the 2 1/2-hour match at Rod Laver Arena came in the third set when he grabbed his left hamstring and then his right thigh. He received treatment from a trainer, who massaged both of Sinner’s legs during the changeovers.
Sinner has become the youngest man since Jim Courier in 1992-93 to reach consecutive Australian Open finals. Interestingly, it was Courier who conducted the post-match interview with Sinner on Friday.
Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park last year and then secured the No. 2 spot at the U.S. Open in September, shortly after being cleared in a doping case, which is still under appeal. A hearing for the case is set for April.
On Sunday, Sinner will look to add another title to his collection when he faces No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the final.
Zverev reached his third Grand Slam final, with a 0-2 record in previous finals, after Novak Djokovic retired due to a leg injury following the first set of their semifinal on Friday.
“Anything can happen. He’s an incredible player,” Sinner said about Zverev. “He’s aiming for his first major. It’s going to be a very tense match again.”
Shelton expressed regret over not being able to close out the opening set.
“I’ve built my career on being able to serve out sets. Having two set points on my serve at 6-5, it feels uncharacteristic for me not to win that,” said Shelton, who reached the semifinals at the 2023 U.S. Open. “Of course, you’re playing the No. 1 player in the world, and the opportunities are always limited. Sometimes you miss your chance, and then he steps up his game, starts hitting more first serves, and plays better. The break opportunities become fewer.”
