Jannik Sinner vs Ben Shelton Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Sinner set for fifth consecutive straight sets win over Shelton

Sinner emphatically brushed aside any concerns over his health with a dominant straight sets victory over home hope Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals and the Italian is expected to produce a similar performance in the semis. Sinner only lost six matches throughout all of 2024 and half of them were against Carlos Alcaraz. I don't think Shelton has this kind of display - at least consistently over five hours - in him at the moment, while the American has also lost the last nine sets they've contested. However, all five previous meetings between the pair have featured at least one tiebreak, so with his booming lefty serve, Shelton can at least get himself deep into one of the sets.

Sinner leads 4-1. Shelton won the first meeting between the pair in a deciding set tiebreak at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, but Sinner has won the last four encounters without relinquishing a single set - including three victories in 2024 at Indian Wells, Wimbledon and Shanghai.

Sinner remains the undisputed No. 1 player in the world and comes into this semi-final showdown on the back of a 19-match winning streak, including winning titles in Shanghai and the ATP Finals to conclude 2024, along with leading Italy to Davis Cup glory.

The 23-year-old opted not to play a lead-in tournament to the Australian Open and while he looked somewhat shaky in the early rounds, Sinner survived those tests and is now perfectly positioned to defend his title in Melbourne.

It's crazy to think that this time last year, Sinner had never reached a Grand Slam final. The Italian has swiftly established a reputation as being almost unbeatable at this level and after coming through a big physical test against Holger Rune in the R16, the two-time major winner is looking like the man to beat once again.

Sinner was absolutely flawless in his quarter-final demolition of de Minaur - and while it's admittedly the perfect match-up for him, it doesn't take away from the ruthless nature of his performance.

Shelton has also developed an early reputation in his short career for peaking at the biggest moments, with the American set to contest his second Grand Slam semi-final.

The 22-year-old made the final four of the 2023 US Open during his first full season on tour, but he was comprehensively swept aside by Novak Djokovic.

With the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz taken out of his path in this section of the draw, Shelton took full advantage, defeating the likes of Brandon Nakashima, Pablo Carreno Busta, Lorenzo Musetti, Gael Monfils and Lorenzo Sonego to make the semi-finals.

While Shelton has done a superb job of taking care of business, he's received a very fortunate draw and now the quality of opponent improves seismically.