It has been more 22-years since an American man has won the Australian Open. American Ben Shelton is one step closer to ending that drought after advancing to the semifinals in Melbourne, but he will have to go through the defending Australian Open champion to do so.
No. 21 seed Shelton will face off against No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in one of two men’s semifinals on Friday for a spot in the final. The winner will face either No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev or No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic in the final for the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Shelton, the last American man remaining in the draw, is looking to win his first major and become the first Amerian man to win the Australian Open since Andre Agassi in 2003.
Meanwhile, Sinner is vying for his second consecutive Australian Open title and third major overall. Sinner came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in five sets to win the 2024 Australian Open. The world No. 1 also won the 2024 U.S. Open.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN BRACKET: Full schedule, results, TV times
Shelton, 22, said he’s expecting a ‘really tough matchup’ against Sinner. ‘Anytime you get to line up with the best in the world, it’s a great opportunity to improve your game and see where you are at,’ Shelton added.
Sinner, 23, was equally complimentary of his opponent, describing Shelton as ‘one of the best servers on tour.’
Here’s everything to know about the semifinal matchup:
When is Australian Open men’s semifinal?
The match featuring Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday (2:30 a.m. in Melbourne).
The matchup between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton is scheduled for Friday at 3:30 a.m. ET (7:30 p.m. in Melbourne).
How to watch Ben Shelton vs. Jannik Sinner
The men’s semifinal will be broadcast live on ESPN and also can be streamed live on ESPN+ or the ESPN app. You can also stream matches in Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
Watch the Australian Open with a Fubo subscription
Ben Shelton’s path to Australian Open semifinal
Tournament’s No. 21 seed
1st round: Defeated Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 7-5
2nd round: Defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4
3rd round: Defeated (16) Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4th round: Defeated Gael Monfils 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-2), 1-0, Retired
Quarterfinals: Defeated Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)
Jannik Sinner’s path to Australian Open semifinal
Tournament’s No. 1 seed
1st round: Defeated Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
2nd round: Defeated Tristan Schoolkate 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
3rd round: Defeated Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
4th round: Defeated (13) Holger Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Quarterfinals: Defeated (8) Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
Sinner vs. Shelton head to head
Sinner leads the head-to-head matchup against Shelton, 4-1. Shelton upset Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in their first ever matchup at the Shanghai Masters in October 2023, but Sinner has defeated Shelton the last four times they have played.
Their most recent meeting was in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters in October, with Sinner coming away with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) victory on the outdoor hard court on Shelton’s 22nd birthday.
What does Australian Open winner receive?
Both the men’s and women’s singles champions will earn the same amount of money for winning the Australian Open. The winner will take home $2.199 million ($3.5 million Australian dollars), with the runner-up pocketing $1.193 million ($1.9 million AUD).
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