Ben Shelton, the 21st seed, secured his first Australian Open semi-final berth with a hard-fought victory over unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. The match, spanning 3 hours and 50 minutes, showcased powerful serves and competitive rallies, with Shelton ultimately prevailing in four sets: 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6.
"I'm relieved right now," said the 22-year-old Shelton, who delivered the joint-fastest serve of the tournament at 232kph (144mph) in the match. "Shout-out to Lorenzo because that was some ridiculous tennis."
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This marks Shelton's second Grand Slam semi-final appearance, his first being at the 2023 US Open, where he was defeated by eventual champion Novak Djokovic. "I'm just really happy to be through, getting my first win here on Rod Laver," he added, reflecting on his third Australian Open campaign.
Sonego, ranked 55th in the world, demonstrated resilience throughout the match. After Shelton took the first two sets, Sonego responded by claiming the third with a late break. In a tense fourth-set tiebreak, Shelton held his nerve to secure the win.
Both players benefitted from the early exits of top-10 seeds Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev, which opened up their quarter of the draw. Shelton saved three break points to level the first set at 3-3 before breaking Sonego in the ninth game to take the opener.
The match featured moments of brilliance, including a stunning full-stretch drop volley by Sonego in the second set that spun back across the net to save a break point. Shelton acknowledged the shot with a fist bump, as the packed crowd erupted in applause.
Sonego, 29, was competing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, having defeated several notable players, including 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka and NextGen champion Joao Fonseca.
Despite the loss, Sonego earned admiration for his spirited performance, while Shelton continues his breakthrough run in Melbourne, setting up an eagerly anticipated semi-final.
