Flash Forward: Sharp Shelton Sets Up Sinner Rematch in AO Quarterfinals

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, January 26, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX

Ben Shelton is flashing forward to go deep in the Australian Open draw again.

An assertive Shelton won 29 of 30 trips to net repelling Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to his third AO quarterfinal in four Melbourne Park appearances.

The explosive Shelton smacked 55 winners—32 more than three-time major finalist Ruud. Swarming net, Shelton’s in-your-face net play transformed this fourth-round match.

 “I think I made a lot of plays today and executed a lot of errors. Volleys I would have missed a while back. But I feel confident in my net play right now,” Shelton said. “I think I’m making great decisions, so I don’t have to overplay. I think I’m coming in on the right serves, on the right shots, choosing my moments correctly, and I think that’s why I’m winning a lot of points. 

“I’m able to get close to the net. I’m able to exploit, you know, when my opponent is pretty far off the baseline and use the drop volley when I need to. I just thought my decision-making up there was really clean today.” 

It is Shelton’s fifth major quarterfinal in just his 14th Grand Slam appearance.

Through four rounds, Shelton has won 12 of 13 sets he’s played improving to 15-3 at Melbourne Park.

The left-handed Shelton set himself up for the ultimate AO test: He will face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner for a semifinal spot.

Earlier, Sinner converted four of eight break points dismissing Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) in an all-Italian fourth-round match on Margaret Court Arena.

After suffering cramps in his third-round win over Greenwich, Connecticut native Eliot Spizzirri in round three, Sinner restored order in his first match on Margaret Court Arena in a couple of years.

“I felt like it was a really solid performance,” Sinner said. “I served very well. Playing against Luciano was the first time in an official match. 

“I was looking forward to. Things got tight in the end, but I’m very happy how I handled it.”

In past meetings, Sinner has handled Shelton routinely.

Since Shelton surprised Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) at the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters, the 24-year-old Italian has reeled off eight straight wins often chomping the former Florida Gator.

Sinner swept Shelton 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 in the 2025 AO semifinals then backed up that triumph with a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 six months later in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.  

The world No. 2 will carry a 26-4 AO record into the fourth round. Sinner has repeatedly shredded Shelton’s weaker backhand wing. The question is: Can Shelton serve with the authority he showed today and impose the impressive net play he displayed defeating Ruud?

No. 8-seeded Shelton said sharper net play—and a more offensive return game—and the fact he’s “hitting [my forehand] bigger than I’ve ever hit it” are three tools he needs to apply to topple the two-time champion, who is aiming to become the first man since Novak Djokovic to three-peat at the Australian Open.

“I think the way that I’m executing, one, at the net is going to be a huge advantage to me. I think the way that I’m mixing things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago,” Shelton said. “I struggled to find my rhythm tonight. You know, it was my first time playing at night since I’ve been here, and the conditions were completely different. But I got through a tough four-set win, and for the most part since I’ve been here, I’ve never hit my forehand this good. 

“I feel like I have great control. I feel like I’m hitting it bigger than I’ve ever hit it. I think my return game has improved a lot. A year ago today I wasn’t comfortable hitting a forehand return. I didn’t put a lot in play. I had to go to the chip a lot to put it in play. And now I’m getting to a point in the match where I feel like I’m lock-down mode, and I can’t miss one.”

Shelton, who is 4-7 vs. Top 20 players in Grand Slams, will need to assert his all-court acumen to test Sinner and prevent the Italian from forcing him to play off the back foot.

“You’ve got to play offensive tennis to beat the best guys,” Shelton said. “I think that, you know, all those things together are what makes my game a little bit different than where I was at before.”