MELBOURNE, Australia — Jannik Sinner overcame cramps in the third set while beating Ben Shelton 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday, securing his return to the Australian Open final as he seeks to both repeat as the men’s singles champion at Melbourne Park and pick up his third Grand Slam title overall.
The top-ranked Sinner fell behind in the opening set and twice was a point from losing it when Shelton served at 6-5. However, Sinner broke there, dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, then broke again to begin the second set.
“It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” said the 23-year-old Italian star, who ran his winning streak to 20 matches dating to late last season.
Sinner said the matchup against the 21st-seeded Shelton, a 22-year-old American appearing in his second major semifinal and first at Melbourne Park, was filled with “a lot of tension.”
“I’m very happy with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner said.