Jannik Sinner v Ben Shelton start time, TV channel and how to watch Australian Open semi-final

Jannik Sinner takes on Ben Shelton in the Australian Open semi-finals as the world No 1 seeks to defend his title.

Sinner is looking to add a third grand slam to his collection, having won last year in Melbourne and again in New York at the end of the season.

The Italian 23-year-old looked impressive in the previous round, outclassing Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, but he faces a challenge in the 22-year-old American Shelton, whose serve is a giant weapon.

The winner will play either Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final.

Here is everything you need to know.

When is Jannik Sinner v Ben Shelton?

The match takes place on Friday 24 January and is set to be the first of the two semi-finals on Rod Laver Arena, with a likely start time of around 7am GMT.

What happened in the semi-finals?

Sinner brushed off concerns about his health with a brutal destruction of home hope Alex De Minaur in the quarter-finals.

The two-time defending champion was in real trouble in his previous round against Holger Rune, taking a long medical timeout and visibly shaking, and admitted afterwards that he was not feeling well.

Hot conditions also played their part and, more than 48 hours on and with temperatures having dropped significantly, Sinner was back to his brilliant best in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Shelton meanwhile battled to a four-set win over Lorenzo Sonego to reach his second grand slam semi-final.

The big-serving American made his breakthrough at the Australian Open two years ago with a run to the quarter-finals on his debut before bettering that at the US Open.

The draw at Melbourne Park has opened up for the 22-year-old and he has taken full advantage, with his latest triumph a 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) victory over unseeded Italian Sonego.

How to watch the Australian Open

In the UK, the Australian Open will be broadcast live on Eurosport. Subscribers can also stream the action online on the Eurosport website or with the discovery+ app.

The tournament takes place every day from midnight UK time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts, while night sessions will start at 8am.

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