Australian Open 2025 Results: Jannik Sinner beats Ben Shelton to create Alexander Zverev Final

Shelton, which offers to reach his first big final, started a confident start by breaking the culprit in the first match of the match – but it was an advantage that the 21st seed surrendered three matches later after a series of unfairly faulty errors.

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

Sinner took control of then off and rolled out five straight points to close the breaker before quickly walking up a double break in the other.

The scary prospect of having to come back from two sets against the upper seed did not deter Shelton from entertaining and engaging the crowd.

The US reset admirably to force three break points early in the third set. But after walking effortlessly, Sinner hit what turned out to be the decisive blow in Game Five to turn off Shelton’s hope of an unlikely fightback.

Despite the fact that it seems to be limping for an awkward landing, Sinner closed five straight matches to secure victory in two hours 36 minutes.

“There was a lot of excitement and I had some little cramps,” Sinner said afterwards.

“These matches can go very long. Three sets in two and a half hours are quite a long time, so I’m glad to finish it in three.”

Sinner’s Australian open title defense comes on the basis of his ongoing doping case, which will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport from April 16, with the world’s anti-doping agency seeking a ban between one and two years.