Melbourne: Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame some third-set cramping and beat Ben Shelton 7-6(2) 6-2 6-2 on Friday to return to the Australian Open final as he seeks a third Grand Slam title. The No. 1-ranked Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, fell behind in the opening set and twice was a point from losing it when Shelton served at 6-5. But Sinner broke there, then dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, and broke again to begin the second set. “It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” said Sinner, who ran his winning streak to 20 matches dating to late last season.
Shelton is a 22-year-old American who now is 0-2 in Grand Slam semifinals. “I know I’m close,” he said. “I know my level’s close.” Sinner described the matchup against the 21st-seeded Shelton at Melbourne Park as filled with “a lot of tension.” “I’m very happy with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner
said.