Melbourne, Jan. 28 — The Australian Open men’s singles semifinals are taking shape as Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic prepare for a highly anticipated clash, while Iga Swiatek’s title defense ends early.
In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion, secured his spot in the semifinals after defeating American eighth seed Ben Shelton in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The victory marked Sinner’s 19th consecutive win at Melbourne Park. The Italian hit 33 winners and demonstrated remarkable consistency, outplaying Shelton who committed twice as many unforced errors.
Celebrating his victory after two hours and 23 minutes, Sinner expressed optimism about facing Djokovic, saying, “We are still lucky to have Novak here playing incredible tennis at his age. Hopefully, it will be a great battle.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic advanced after his quarterfinal opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, retired hurt with the Italian leading two sets to none. Musetti, who was on the brink of a career-defining victory, suffered a severe injury to his upper right leg, which forced him to withdraw in the third set. Djokovic, 38, benefited from the retirement, making his way to the semifinals. The Serbian star had earlier received a medical timeout due to a blister on his foot.
Djokovic commented on the match, “I feel really sorry for him. He was a far better player; I was on my way home.” The veteran also benefited from a walkover in the previous round after opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew injured.
In the women’s singles, top seed Iga Swiatek’s title defense ended in disappointment as she was defeated by Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 6-1. The Kazakhstani star, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, dominated the match and will face Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Pegula reached the final four after a straight-sets victory over Amanda Anisimova, 6-2, 7-6(1).
Rybakina lauded her performance, saying, “I’m pleased with the win. I was trying to stay aggressive, and I know each other pretty well.”
The women’s semifinals are scheduled for Thursday at Rod Laver Arena, with Aryna Sabalenka facing Elina Svitolina in the early match, followed by Rybakina versus Pegula.
In doubles action, China’s Zhang Shuai and Belgium’s Elise Mertens, the fourth seeds, advanced to the women’s doubles semifinals.
