Ben Shelton vs Jannik Sinner Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | Quarter-Final
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Ben Shelton faces Jannik Sinner at the 2026 Australian Open.
Start date/time:
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Outdoor hard
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel
Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Ben Shelton vs Jannik Sinner ticket information
Ben Shelton vs Jannik Sinner prediction
Ben Shelton will need to bring his A-game and sprinkle in a new-found X-factor to have any chance of ending Jannik Sinner’s Australian Open reign.
The American boasts one of the best serves on tour and that first delivery will have to land at an impressively high percentage for the 23-year-old to have a shot at reaching back-to-back semi-finals Down Under.
The eighth seed isn’t quite hitting the heights that saw him win his first Masters 1000 title in Canada. That run of form made him a dark horse for the 2025 US Open title prior to having the bid curtailed by a shoulder injury - but there are signs his is getting there again.
Shelton has been consistent and solid so far at Melbourne Park, dropping just the one set in his comeback win over a red-hot Casper Ruud in the round of 16.
The problem of talking up an potential upset centres upon his head-to-head with Sinner, with the Italian leading 8-1 overall. Indeed, the world number two won all four of their matches last year in straight sets, including a 7-6 6-2 6-2 victory in the semi-finals at this tournament.
You have to go back to 2023 for Shelton’s only victory which came in Shanghai in their first ever showdown.
All the indicators suggest Jannik’s game-plan is rock-solid against Showtime Ben, but there could be a glimmer of hope when you factor in the two-time defending champion’s physical issues.
The four-time major winner’s cramps were there for all to see as he survived a huge scare in the third round and he didn’t look at his very best in the final stages of his 6-1 6-3 7-6 success over Luciano Darderi on Monday.
It remains to be seen if that does become a problem for Sinner as this tournament develops, but the style of match-up may help as the points with Shelton will often be short with a limited number of gruelling rallies.
It’s highly likely the second seed will extend his winning streak at the tournament to 19 matches, but if you are looking for better odds, there have been tie-breaks in eight of their nine meetings and that is worth exploring as well as it going over three sets.
Ben Shelton vs Jannik Sinner tip: Tie-break in match
