Shelton plots Open upset win over red-hot Sinner

Ben Shelton knows he must strike a balance between risk and reward as the American showman plots an Australian Open semi-final boilover at Melbourne Park.

Surprising even himself with his run to a second grand slam semi, Shelton takes on top-ranked titleholder Jannik Sinner on Friday as a huge underdog.

"Obviously, Jannik, defending champion. We know what he's done. A really tough match-up," the 22-year-old said.

"I'm really looking forward to it. Any time you get to line up against the best in the world is a great opportunity to improve your game and see where you're at, and that's what Friday will be for me."

Pleasingly for Shelton, the 22-year-old believes he has elevated his big game to a point where he no longer feels he needs to all-out attack to get results, unlike the first time he made the final four at a major.

"The US Open 2023, I felt like everything had to be perfect. I was red-lining. I was at my limits," Shelton said.

"I was hitting a lot of winners. I was serving amazing. Everything had to fall in line for that to happen, me to have those runs.

"Lately, especially in the matches here, everything hasn't been perfect. I had one good serving day out of my five matches.

"I've had to pick up the slack with everything else in my game. I think I'm a much better returner right now than in the past.

"I'm winning in different ways, for sure."

It's why the world No.20 plans on taking only a "calculated risk" in pursuit of victory over Sinner, who dismantled Australian Alex de Minaur for the loss of just six games in the quarter-finals

"You have to choose your moments, still be confident in the things that you trust. But I don't think I'll be red-lining," Shelton said.

"If anything, I've been, in terms of my baseline play, a bit more conservative this tournament, okay with going deep in rallies. Probably have to step that up a little bit in the semi-finals.

"A more aggressive game style, that's taking the ball a little earlier or serve and volleying more or taking the first-ball line and running in instead of hitting five or six forehands in a row.

"I'm figuring out ways to make guys uncomfortable without just playing at my upper limits and slapping."

Win or lose, Shelton also feels ahead of schedule in his professional tennis journey after choosing the sport over American football.

"I'm really happy. I'm not sure this is what I expected when my career started," he said.

"Honestly, as a kid, once I stopped playing football, I was always a little bit heavy. Not fat, but just, like, heavy, carrying a lot of weight.

"I always struggled physically. I would get deep in matches and I'd be cramping or tired and have no energy left.

"For me to be able to handle the physicality of five sets - I saw a stat I'm 24 and eight in the grand slams - it's really special."

Sinner or Shelton will play the winner of Friday's second semi-final between 10-time champion Novak Djokovic and world No.2 Alexander Zverev in the title match.

1-JANNIK SINNER (ITA) leads 21-BEN SHELTON (USA) 4-1

2024 Shanghai Masters, hard, R16, Sinner 6-4 7-6 (7-1)

2024 Wimbledon, grass, R16, Sinner 6-2 6-4 7-6 (11-9)

2024 Indian Wells Masters, hard, R16, Sinner 7-6 (7-4) 6-1

2023 Vienna, indoor hard, R32, Sinner 7-6 (7-2) 7-5

2023 Shanghai Masters, hard, R16, Shelton 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5)