Sinner beats Shelton to set up Zverev final in Melbourne

Australian Open 2025

Date: 23 January Location: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live Radio Commentary on Tennis Breakfast on BBC 5 Sports Extra plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

Jannik Sinner faces Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final after the defending champion saw out Ben Shelton in straight sets in Melbourne.

The world number one sinner recorded a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2 victory over American Shelton on the Rod Laver Arena stage, where he claimed his first major title 12 months ago.

Earlier on Friday, an injured Novak Djokovic was forced to retire After losing the first set against world number two Zverev.

Zverev was still bidding for a first major title after losing his previous two finals, barring a daunting task against the in-form Sinner in Sunday’s final.

The women’s final between two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys takes place on Saturday.

Reigning US Open Champion Sinner is the youngest man to reach multiple Australian Open finals since Jim Courier in 1993.

Italy’s Sins have been virtually non-compliant in the past 12 months and will go into the final on a 20-match winning streak, having not lost a game since October 2 last year.

Shelton, bidding to reach his first major final, got off to a confident start by breaking the culprit in the first game of the match – but it was an advantage that the 21st seed surrendered three games later after a series of unforced errors.

Shelton, 22, broke again for a 6-5 lead and served for the set, but spread two set points when Sinner dug in to force a tie.

Sinner took control from then on, rolling out five straight points to close out the breaker before quickly going up a double break in the second.

The daunting prospect of having to come back from two sets down against the top seed didn’t deter Shelton from entertaining and engaging the crowd.

The American reset admirably to force three break points early in the third set. But after they went easy, Sinner hit what proved to be the decisive blow in Game Five to snuff out Shelton’s hopes of an unlikely fightback.

Despite appearing to limp after an awkward landing, Sinner closed out five straight fights to secure victory in two hours 36 minutes.

Sinner’s Australian Open title defense comes on the back of his Ongoing doping casewhich will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport from April 16, with the World Anti-Doping Agency seeking a ban of between one and two years.