De Minaur managed just four winners in the opening set as Sinner dictated play

Jannik Sinner. (Pic Credit – X)

The Italian world number one showed no signs of the illness that troubled him in his previous match, storming past the eighth seed 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He also claimed the US Open crown in 2023 and is now bidding to defend a major title for the first time.

Sinner, who defeated Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final, is aiming to become the first Italian man to win three Grand Slam titles.

There were doubts about Sinner’s fitness after he struggled with illness in his last-16 match, where he admitted feeling dizzy in the sweltering heat. Roared on by a partisan home crowd, De Minaur initially held his own, but Sinner seized control with a decisive break for a 3-1 lead after an intense 24-shot rally. A string of unforced errors saw him broken twice, with Sinner cruising to a 3-0 lead before wrapping up the match.

However, the cooler conditions of the quarter-final saw him in peak form, moving effortlessly and showing no signs of discomfort. From there, Sinner’s powerful baseline game and precise ball-striking left the Australian scrambling. De Minaur managed just four winners in the opening set as Sinner dictated play. Despite his best efforts, De Minaur had no answers in the third set. Against Sonego, Shelton relied on his booming serve, including a 232kph (144mph) ace—the fastest of the tournament. After taking the first two sets, Shelton endured a wobble in the third but regrouped to win a tense fourth-set tiebreak.

“Shout out to Lorenzo Sonego—that was some ridiculous tennis,” he said with a smile. Shelton, visibly relieved, also praised Sonego’s performance.