By Richard Pagliaro Monday, January 26, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/Rolex
Ben Shelton has gone further in the Australian Open draw again.
Confident Shelton won 29 of 30 net shots Caspar Rudd 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, he advanced to the AO quarter-finals for the third time in four games at Melbourne Park.
The explosive Shelton scored 55 winners, 32 more than Rudd, a three-time Grand Slam finalist. Shelton’s net save changed this fourth round match drastically.
“I thought I hit a lot of shots today and made a lot of mistakes. Before I might have missed volley shots. But I’m confident in my game at the net now,” Shelton said. “I think I’m making great decisions so I don’t have to overdo it. I think I’m serving the ball right, hitting the ball right, picking my timing right, and I think that’s why I win a lot of points.
“I was able to stay close to the net. You know, when my opponent was far away from the baseline, I was able to take advantage of that and use volleys when I needed to. I just thought my decision-making was pretty clean today.”
This is Shelton’s 14th time participating in a Grand Slam tournament and his fifth time entering the Grand Slam quarterfinals.
After four rounds, Shelton won 12 of 13 sets at Melbourne Park to improve his record to 15-3.
Southpaw Shelton is ready for the ultimate AO test: He will face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner for a spot in the semifinals.
Previously, Sinner eliminated Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the fourth round of the all-Italian match at the Margherita Court Arena, with four of eight break points saved.
Sinner got his act together in his first fight at Margaret Court Arena in several years after suffering cramps in his third-round win over Greenwich, Conn., native Eliot Spizzirri.
“I thought it was a really good performance,” Sinner said. “My serve was very good. It was the first time against Luciano in an official match.
“I’m looking forward to it. Things got tense at the end, but I’m happy with the way I handled it.”
Sinner frequently dealt with Shelton in past meetings.
Since Shelton beat Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) at the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters, the 24-year-old Italian has won eight straight, regularly defeating the former Florida Gator.
Sinner swept Shelton 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 in the 2025 AO semifinals and won 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals six months later.
The No. 2 player in the world will enter the fourth round with an AO record of 26 wins and 4 losses. Sinner repeatedly shredded Shelton’s weaker backhand flank. The question is: Can Shelton serve with the authority he showed today and show off his impressive net play in beating Rudd?
Shelton, the eighth seed, said that his attack at the net is sharper and his return of serve is more aggressive. In fact, he “hit the ball more [my forehand] “Bigger balls than I’ve ever hit” are the three tools he needs to deploy to dethrone the two-time champion, who is aiming to become the first man since Novak Djokovic to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.
“I think the way I execute at the net is going to be a huge advantage for me. I think the way I mix things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago,” Shelton said. “It was hard for me to find my rhythm tonight. You know, it’s the first time I’ve played at night since I’ve been here, and the conditions are completely different. But I had a tough four-set win, and for the most part since I’ve been here, my forehand has never been better.
“I feel like I have good control. I feel like I’m hitting the ball harder than I ever have before. I think my return technique has improved a lot. A year ago today, I wasn’t comfortable hitting the forehand return. I wasn’t putting a lot of effort into it. I had to chip in a lot to make it work. Now I’ve gotten to a point in my game where I feel like I’m in lock-in mode and I can’t miss a beat.”
Shelton, who has a 4-7 record against top-20 players in majors, will need to use his all-court intelligence to test Sinner and prevent the Italian from forcing him to attack on the back foot.
“You have to play aggressive tennis to beat the best players,” Shelton said. “I think, you know, all of those things combined made my game different than it was before.”
