Italy’s Jannik Sinner plays a shot during the semifinal match against U.S. Ben Shelton at the Australian Open tennis championship 2025 in Melbourne on January 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his sizzling Australian Open run with a 7-6(2) 6-2 6-2 win over American 21st seed Ben Shelton to reach a second straight final at Melbourne Park and book a meeting with Alexander Zverev.
Sinner’s victory made the 23-year-old the youngest man to make multiple finals at the Australian Open since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and kept alive his dream of becoming the first Italian to lift three Grand Slam singles trophies.
Sinner entered the match on Rod Laver Arena having won four of his five meetings with left-hander Shelton but found himself in trouble early on as a thunderous forehand winner handed the American a break, which he followed up with a tight hold.
The top seed shrugged off a tentative start to draw level at 2-2 and attacked Shelton’s powerful serve at every opportunity, but a lapse on his own delivery in the 11th game left him in a spot of bother again before he saved two set points to force a tiebreak.
Shelton bounced his racket off the court after going behind 4-0 in the tiebreak as his accuracy deserted him and Sinner gleefully accepted the opening set when his frustrated opponent sent a forehand wide.
After a breathless start to the second set, Sinner released the handbrake to win the opening four games without response and soon left a dejected Shelton in the rear view mirror to double his advantage in the match.
Sinner felt a problem in his left leg during a tense third set and had it worked on by the trainer after breaking to go 3-2 up, before some huge winners took him to the finish line and back-to-back major finals after his triumphant U.S. Open run.
Second seed Zverev reached his first Australian Open final and third at the majors after 24-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic retired due to a left thigh injury after losing the opening set 7-6(5).
Published – January 24, 2025 05:22 pm IST
