Key events
Aha, here’s our report of Sinner v Shelton…
…which means we’re finished here. Thanks for your company, and do join me again tomorrow at 8am GMT for the women’s semi-finals. Peace out.
Watching an interview with Pegula, who is still improving at 31, she says she handles power well – she’s beaten Keys and Anisimova in the last two rounds – and hits a heavier ball than people expect. Rybakina, though, is serving superbly, her cheery thumping from the back very hard to handle, and if she plays well, she’ll win; Pegula needs to produce her best tennis against an opponent a little off hers.
Tomorrow, then … oh man, I wish it was here already. We open our coverage at around 8am GMT for an 8.30am start between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina, then Jess Pegula takes on Elena Rybakina.
My sense is the final will be Sabalenka v Rybakina, but the other two are live dogs who’ll be relying on canny consistency to overcome a significant power differential.
Here’s some good news: longtime readers of this blog will be familiar with Coach Calv, whose technical insights are one of the best things about it. Well, though Henry Patten, along with Harri Heliovaara the defending champ in the men’s doubles, is out, Luke Johnson, Calv’s other charge, along with Jan Zielinski, his partner, beat the no 4 seeds, Arevalo and Pavic, overnight. They now face the Aussie wildcards, Kubler and Polmans, for a place in the final; the other semi is a battle of perennial contenders, Granollers and Zeballos meeting Harrison and Skupski.
What stood out today was Shelton’s inability to get in front when returning. I can’t recall a single 0-15 – there must surely have been at least one? – never mind a 0-30. And, as we mentioned earlier, that’s not just a facility of skill but of mentality – the focus it takes to be locked-in every time is beyond the comprehension of my ADHD brain, which fights to stay concentrated simply when blogging, a very different task to running about extending yourself physically. It’s fair to say that Shelton played a few poor returns when offered second serves, but when you know it’s all you’re getting, it must be hard to stay loose.
It’s insane how much better than the rest Sinner and Alcaraz are. How do you gameplan for players with no weaknesses? How do you get your head right when you know that to be the case?
Sinner says it’s tough to play against Shelton, who has a tough serve and is improving so much year on year (and yet…). After the off-season, you never know how certain players will play against you, he continues, as we cut to his disconsolate opponent sat on a bike preparing to warm down, then he thanks the croewd for their support.
Asked how he returns a serve that’s with him half a second after it’s unleashed, he jokes that he’s not good at maths, then says it’s just instinct but the power doesn’t always matter as the ball is quite close to him. There aren’t many lefties, so Shelton’s serve is one of the biggest challenges to return and the second delivery comes with a lot of spin – the courts in Melbourne are bouncy – but less so in the evening.
Following the Spizzirri match, in which he struggled physically, he was happy with his win over Darderi, which boosted confidence, and he felt better again today. Next for him comes Djokovic, and he says these are moments you wake up and practise for. He’s looking forward to it, we’re lucky to still have Novak still playing, and hopefully it’s going to be a great battle.
It’s absolutely mind-boggling how chasmic is the difference between the top two and the rest. Both are knocking off serious players with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice, and there’s not a single sign that any of them can get anywhere near as good, however hard they work and however much they improve. Assuming both stay fit, when will be the next grand slam final that does not contain Sincaraz? Next year? Five years? A decade?
Jannik Sinner (1) beats Ben Shelton (8) 6-3 6-4 6-4
Shelton 3-6 4-6 4-5 Sinner* Not since 2013 have the top four men’s seeds reached the last four of the Aussie Open; it last happened at a major at Roland-Garros 2019. Sinner makes 15-0 with a big forehand, a serve takes him to 30, and a serve-forehand-volley raises three match points. This must be killing Shelton, who’s worked his arse off to raise his expectations and get exactly nowhere; he does get to 15, but Sinner dominates the next rally and that is that. He’ll face Novak Djokovic on Friday, drawing nearer to a third one of these on the spin.
*Shelton 3-6 4-6 4-5 Sinner Sinner just doesn’t allow opponents to play well enough for long enough to get comfortable against him – they’re constantly being moved about, forced to play shots that aren’t really on simply to stay in points. And this is exactly what happens here, Sinner getting his returns into play before wearing Shelton down with weight and quantity of shot to go up 0-30 … then a netted forehand down the line raises three almost match-points. The first is saved when the Italian plays a false shot then, after a fault, Shelton goes for it on second serve, misses, and there’s the break we knew was coming. After a little sit-down, Sinner will serve for a place in the semi-finals.
Shelton 3-6 4-6 4-4 Sinner* Serve +1, 15-0. But Shelton is still full of running – Tim reckons he’s got more energy left than Sinner – and makes 15-all, only to overhit when a ball bounces higher than expected. A service winner for 40-15 follows, but the American stays in the next point, just, and eventually dispatches an overhead; Sinner waits for the apology he feels a framed return requires, it is unforthcoming, and another serve +1 seals the hold.
*Shelton 3-6 4-6 4-3 Sinner Aaaarrgghhh, my browser crashes, but Shelton holds.
Shelton 3-6 4-6 3-3 Sinner* Er, nah. At 15-0, Sinner does net a slice, but a serve backed up by a forehand to the opposite corner makes 30-15, then Shelton nets a return when offered a second serve, a major oversight. A return swatted wide then confirms the hold, and it feels like we’re just waiting for the inevitability that is Sinner breaking.
*Shelton 3-6 4-6 3-2 Sinner Once the big three started winning slams regularly, the interlopers were Murray, Wawrinka, Del Potro, Cilic and Thiem. But the latter two were facilitated by injuries and I’m afraid the other three were a lot, lot better than Shelton, Zverev and the rest, which is to say it’s almost impossible to foresee a major not won by Sincaraz, provided both stay fit. Anyway, back to our match, a fine return and then a winner earn Sinner 15-40 and what feels like two match points … both saved by Shelton, who then somehow puts away a drop with velvet hands that’s so good Darren Cahill stands to applaud. And through deuce, he secures his hold, whooping and leaping, energy up. But can he channel it to put Sinner’s serve under pressure?
Shelton 3-6 4-6 2-2 Sinner* I think Shelton’s played with more belief than in last year’s semi, but the problem all the pretenders have is that Sinner hasn’t finished improving either. OK, a problem. He holds to love.
*Shelton 3-6 4-6 2-1 Sinner At 30-0, a return to the tootsies catches Shelton coming in, but he responds well, forced to hit three winners to earn one point. From there, he closes out, and this is a good stuff; every journey starts with a single step, and there are no doubt other metaphors ands aphorisms with which he can gull himself into believing a comeback is possible.
Shelton 3-6 4-6 1-1 Sinner* A wild backhand from Sinner, words I never supposed to type, hands over 15-all, so unloads forehands to make 40-15. And though Shelton then gets lucky with a net cord, an ace down the T secures the hold, the Italian seemingly able to up it whenever he needs to.
*Shelton 3-6 4-6 1-0 Sinner Shelton misses chances to end the first rally and a gentle overhead is duly punished past him for 0-15. But a forehand winner levels the game, it’s soon 40-15, and a big serve with decent +1 to the corner secures an essential hold.
Jannik Sinner wins the second set to lead Ben Shelton 6-3 6-4
Shelton 3-6 4-6 Sinner* I say that, but the game opens with a double … I say that, but we all know what’s coming next and there it is, an ace into the wide corner. Ooh, but a backhand pulled wide has Sinner fiddling with his eyes like there’s a problem at 15-30 … then another big serve out wide is well returned … only for Shelton to go long unnecessarily. Stephen Hendry is fond of pointing out that in snooker, it’s not the great shots you make but the easy ones you miss – or don’t miss – that dictate whether you win or lose, and Sinner proves the adage in tennis. He rarely misses anything he shouldn’t, whereas Shelton just can’t hit with that consistency, two unforced errors hastening the end of a set in which he sort of competed, keeping it close, but was never really in, having been broken in its third game.
*Shelton 3-6 4-5 Sinner Sinner makes 0-30, but an ace down the T from Shelton and it’s soon 30-all. From there, we move to deuce, a monstrous ace earning the American advantage, then another, curling on to the T, securing the hold which forces Sinner to serve for a 2-0 lead. I’m sure we’ll see him step in and unload the suitcase, but we know for sure that anything he gets, he’ll have to take, because he’ll be given nowt.
Shelton 3-6 3-5 Sinner* My computer crashes but Sinner holds to 30 having had 40-0,. Shelton must now serve to stay in the set.
*Shelton 3-6 3-4 Sinner Sinner makes 0-15 but a service winner levels things, then a return drops long as Shelton noises himself up, trying to override his sense of reality and get the adrenaline going like this is close. And at 30-all, a tremendous second serve earns him game point … but we again wind up at deuce, bringing with it pressure. Shelton, though, closes out the game well, and will now seek to make something happen on return. Good luck with that, old mate!
Shelton 3-6 2-4 Sinner* Now it’s Sinner with a swift hold, to 15, and this match is running away from Shelton just as last year’s semi did.
*Shelton 3-6 2-3 Sinner Shelton races through a love hold, exactly what he needed, but can he put more pressure on the Sinner serve? The consistency of it, along with the consistency from the back, is the problem – there are so few free points available you have to come up with winners and that’s hard to do in any circumstance, never mind when rushing about chasing bombs.
Shelton 3-6 1-3 Sinner* Shelton will always have his single shot-making – he makes 0-15 with a backhand winner down the line – but to make an impression against Sinner, that just isn’t enough. It’s about point construction, about length, depth and variety – problem being the Italian is so good from the back you can have you best day in all those departments and still take a hiding. We do, though, mosey to 30-all, Shelton gets lucky with a net cord … then takes over in a long rally of fantastic hitting, a forehand hit inside-out to the corner raising break-back point! and he gets a second serve at which to go too … then whips a return into the net. And that’s the thing, really: to do what Sinner does isn’t just an achievement of athleticism and technique, but of mental strength – his concentration is painful even to contemplate. An error, though, offers Shelton a second advantage … and another tame shot, this time one which drifts long, restores deuce. You simply cannot do that against this freak of nature, but is Sinner dipping? He nets a forehand to donate a third break point, but it occurs that he responded to neither of the first two with an ace, unusual for him and, as I type, he unloads a service winner, then two forehand errors secure the hold. To get anywhere against him, opponents have to play so well for so long, and really only Alcaraz is capable.
*Shelton 3-6 1-2 Sinner Sinner quickly makes 0-30, but Shelton closes to 30-all, then we gain deuce and a weak second serve means the American now faces advantage. And I’m afraid a tamely netted forehand means Sinner is up a set and a break; Shelton will consult with his dad at change of ends, but I’m afraid the technical term for what he’s experiencing is a sonning-off.
Shelton 3-6 1-1 Sinner* A gorgeous lob from way behind the baseline lands just inside it at the other end, making 0-15 … for all the good it does Shelton, again sent nashing about from hither to yon as Sinner makes 40-15. But then an unforced error, just his fifth of the match, offers a sniff, and Shelton does superbly to work a lane for a backhand winner down the line, taking us to deuce. It’s a while since we’ve been here on the Italians’s serve and he’s not inclined to remain, a volley making advantage – he’s improved in that area, an ominous sign for the field – which is then converted into a hold.
*Shelton 3-6 1-0 Sinner Shelton must hold here if only to preserve the pretence that this can be a contest. And it’s quickly 0-30, but he then hangs in the next point long enough for Sinner to net, a big first serve brings parity at 30-all, and an ace sustains the fantasy.
Jannik Sinner takes the first set against Ben Shelton 6-3
Shelton 3-6 Sinner* Two first serves are good enough for 30-0, then two absurdly powerful yet accurate forehands from corner to corner raise three set points … the first converted with an ace out wide, of course it is. In comms., we’re told that Shelton has some thinking to do, but the truth is he could perform it so hard and well he disproves the laws of gravity and the theory of relativity, and there’d still be nothing he can do to stop Sinner.
*Shelton 3-5 Sinner Sinner is in total control of himself, which is one good reason he’s on almost-total control of this match, and he dominates the first rally of the game for 0-15, but then strays long which levels the game. No matter: an inside-out forehand arranges 15-30 … but a high-kicking second serve that has Sinner taking cover is followed by a booming first, then another service winner forces him to serve for the set.
Shelton 2-5 Sinner* Sinner’s decided to get good at touch-shots, so he has – for him, it really is that simple. Of course, he’s put in the work, but nothing one might want to do on a tennis court is beyond him, and it makes him 15-0, then a backhand winner he has an epoch to play – his anticipation is a joke – takes him to game point, and forehand into the corner as Shelton comes in, secures the hold and tells his opponent he can read him like he wrote him.
*Shelton 2-4 Sinner A backhand into the net gives Sinner 0-15, the a forehand into the net makes it 15-30. Bit by bit, the vice around Shelton’s face is tightening and a double donates two points for the double-break. The first is saved via ace – for all the first serves landed, and there’ve been many, almost all of them have come back – but another decent one goes unreturned, so to deuce we mooch. Then, as Sinner again toys with Shelton, a dad playing with his lad, the American jars a foot racing form corner to corner, but saves advantage with a big serve, then makes it himself with another, securing a crucial hold with a drop. Shelton is playing at full throttle, whereas you feel Sinner can up the intensity if necessary.
Shelton 1-4 Sinner* Sinner is one of those lads you come across in the playground who shocks you the first time you see him play football because you’d never have guessed he even liked it, never mind was brilliant at it. An ace caps a love consolidation – consolidated love, that’s a nice thought – and it’s equal parts affirming and mortifying how good the world no 2 is.
*Shelton 1-3 Sinner Sinner doesn’t have the inventive genius of Alcaraz, nor the creative temperament, but who does? He’s still got a terrific eye and imagination, dashing in for a drop that’s curling away, letting the spin take effect, then bumping it low past the net-post for a delicious winner. From 0-15, he makes 15-30 and suddenly turns up the volume, directing Shelton from corner to corner until he can’t take any more, in the process raising two break points. The first, though, evaporates with a forehand into the net … and the second when Shelton whacks one of his own close enough to the corner to be unreturnable, just. “Yes!” he shouts, because he knows he can’t be going down a break and because winning points against this tennis borg imbued with human creativity and spirit is bloody difficult, but a booming return and following forehand means it’s soon advantage Sinner … deuce restored with a terrifying serve. Every game so far has been a ruckus and this is another, another fine return helping Sinner to another advantage, and this time Shelton, again put on his bike, nets a forehand and that’s the break. I fear we’ve seen this match before, one that’s close until it isn’t, and between them, Sincaraz are devastating the morale of the entire tour, enjoying their opponent’s best before imposing the steel blanket of their own.
Shelton 1-2 Sinner* Two serves, two service winners, but then a double is followed by Shelton swatting a backhand winner cross-court for 30-all. So sinner hammers a huge delivery down the T, the American somehow stops in the point with some excellent defence de-fence, only to net once up in the rally. Oh, but a forehand return down the line, a clean winner, makes deuce … from where Sinner closes out. So far, this is a compelling contest, more than can be said for the below and belowmentioned rig. Why do they do it to him; why does he do it to himself?
*Shelton 1-1 Sinner A big serve makes 15-0, but a decent return on to the line incites a netted forehand. No matter, Shelton shows good variety in the next rally, an inside-out backhand clipping the sideline for a winner, before an ace makes 4-15. But caught at the net having not done enough with the volley, he’s passed, then a netted slice takes us to deuce, and pressure. Shelton cannot afford to be be broken in the first game; he punishes down an ace, but is immediately hauled back, then another big serve allows the clean-up forehand. Ach, but just when a fantastic serve out wide looks to have set up the point, an overhit forehand restores deuce, and Shelton, despite nailing 10/10 first serves in this game, is having to deploy his entire array of shots to hold. He makes advantage again, sends down a decent second serve with the wind behind it, and a quality return renders it useless; back to deuce we go, Sinner slowly extracting his soul, but this time, Shelton makes advantage and closes out the game. Already, this is a lot of fun.
Shelton 0-1 Sinner* (*denotes server) Sinner hooks a forehand long, a shot that looks pretty relative to the mustard trainers, olive top and white hat, shorts and socks he’s been handed – why do they continually dress him in nonsense? Why does he let them? He soon makes 30-15 and Shelton misses the chance to properly get after a short second serve … but a framed forehand sends the ball into orbit and at 30-all, he has the sniff of a sniff. And this is more like it, the American coning in off a deep forehand, and it earns him break point; here we go. Ahahahaha, but you know what’s coming next: yes, a service winner that makes it 23 out of 29 break points saved in the tournament, backed up with a succession of forehands which facilitate the overhead putaway then, when Shelton goes with a drop, but down the line, not cross, which allows Sinner to rush in and mete out forehand treatment. He’s into the match.
Righto, Jannik Sinner to serve, ready …play.
Shelton played really well against Casper Ruud in the last round. He lost the first set but was excellent thereafter … completing a challenge that in no way prepared him for the one he faces now. But it will have been good for his confidence, and he needs plenty of that here.
Out come our players; the roof will be opened.
I’m afraid we know the answer to this one.
It’s hard to argue with any of this.
Tennis is hard – a lot of repetitive practising, a lot of travel, a lot of pressure. We should be making it nice for players, not invasive.
Earlier today:
Regular readers will know we called this one. Rybakina might just have hit a new level the last few months – I can’t wait to see her against Pegula in tomorrow’s semi.
Least said.
Shelton reckons his forehand return, net play and variety from the back is much improved from last term, and he’s coming to attack. The question, I think, will be the consistency; if he serves – and volleys, and rallies – really well, he can throw hands on return. Like Wawrinka in the grand slam finals he won against Djokovic and Nadal, going for low-percentage shorts and making them, he needs short rallies and big shots. He doesn’t have Stan’s precision, but he fancies the task and has convinced himself to believe, which makes him dangerous.
Preamble
G’day and welcome to the Australian Open 2026 – day 11!
This time yesterday we watched Alex de Minaur play brilliantly for a set a bit, as well as he can play, while knowing quietly to ourselves that there was still absolutely no way he could play well enough to beat Carlos Alcaraz. And you know what? the Demon knew it quietly to himself too.
Ben Shelton, though, is a different kettle of charisma, a bristling ball of lefty power and creativity who believes that, with hard work, the world can be his. And yet it will not have escaped his attention that Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, his opponent this evening, have contested the last three grand slam finals and the ATP Finals final too, with no signs whatsoever that their dominance is under threat.
Shelton actually beat Sinner the first time the two met, on a hard court in 2023, but has lost all eight matches since without winning a set and, in the semi-finals of last year’s one of these, he was dismissed 6, 2 and 2. He’s got a problem here.
Sinner, though, seemed to tire in his last match against Luciano Darderi and struggled with cramp in the one before against Elliot Spizzirri, only to be saved by a heat break; for brief, fleeing moments, he’s looked almost pregnable.
But there is no one better at doing the necessary and no one whose bottom level is as stratospheric – the aspect of elite sport which marks out the greats. It will take something monstrous even to trouble him here, but Shelton has a slight chance – in the context, not a criticism but a rare accolade, which says everything about the task that awaits him.
Let’s go!
