Jannik Sinner stormed into the Australian Open final with a commanding 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ben Shelton on Friday.
The 23-year-old defending champion will now face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s title clash after Novak Djokovic retired injured in their semi-final match.
Sinner overcame a challenging first set, saving two set points before dominating the remainder of the match in two hours and 36 minutes.
Despite late cramps, the Italian comfortably sealed his spot in his second consecutive Melbourne final.
The tournament saw an unexpected turn earlier when Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended abruptly.
The 37-year-old Serb withdrew after losing the first set to Zverev, leaving his future at Melbourne Park uncertain.
Sinner, who captured his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year, now stands on the brink of a successful title defense.
He holds a strong record against Zverev, having won four of their last five encounters.
Zverev, appearing in his first Australian Open final, aims to claim his first Grand Slam title after finishing as runner-up at the French Open and US Open.
