Reigning champion Jannik Sinner will take on 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in a highly anticipated Australian Open semi-final after dispatching Ben Shelton in straight sets on Wednesday.

The physically strong Italian second seed defeated the American eighth seed 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, dropping just one set en route to the last four.

In the other semi-final at Melbourne Park, world number one Carlos Alcaraz will face third-ranked Alexander Zverev.

“Day by day, today I felt I was moving better, feeling physically stronger again,” Sinner said after advancing to his sixth consecutive Grand Slam semi-final.

“We all know the challenge ahead,” he added regarding Djokovic, 38. “These are the moments you practise for and wake up for in the morning. It improves you as a player and a person. We’re lucky to have Novak still playing incredible tennis for his age.”

Sinner entered the quarter-final with an 8-1 head-to-head advantage over Shelton, the American’s sole win coming in 2023. He also beat Shelton in last year’s Melbourne semi-final.

On a cool evening at Rod Laver Arena, Sinner raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set, keeping the 23-year-old Shelton scrambling across the court. An ace sealed the set in 49 minutes, and Shelton was broken again to fall two sets behind.

Four-time major champion Sinner remained unflustered even when Shelton applied pressure, while the third set saw the American’s 33rd unforced error hand Sinner three break points. After saving one, Shelton double-faulted to give Sinner a 5-4 lead, signaling the finish was near.

Djokovic, a record 10-time Australian Open winner, reached the semi-finals after Italian Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in his quarter-final match.