Ben Shelton put Jannik Sinner in trouble for just one set in the second semifinal of the 2025 Australian Open. The world number 20 was twice ahead of a break in the first set and had a couple of set points at 6-5, but he didn't take advantage of those chances and the match basically ended there.
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The world No.1 dominated the tiebreak and left no more opportunities for his opponent in the remaining two sets, prevailing in just over two and a half hours and getting his fifth victory in a row against the American ace.
After being defeated by Ben in their first official match at the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters, the Italian player prevailed in the next five matches without losing a single set against him.
Shelton is disappointed
"Honestly, I'm really disappointed," Shelton said during his press conference. "I knew that facing Jannik on this surface would be a very tough challenge and so it was. I had put myself in a good position at the beginning of the match and had two chances to win the first set, but I couldn't convert those chances. When you face the world number 1, you know that you won't have much chance and that you have to be cynical in those moments. After overcoming that situation, Sinner gained confidence and started playing better and better. Certain opportunities have to be exploited and I didn't succeed, even if I think I played a good match today. I'll analyze the statistics in the next few hours, but I think the shot I missed today was the serve" concluded Ben.
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Despite this loss, the American ace can be really proud of the level at which he played in this edition of the Happy Slam. The world number 20 has defeated several very dangerous opponents and has shown progress in all areas of the game.
Shelton will have to keep working and improving further if he wants to become a serious candidate to win Grand Slam titles.
