Shelton rallies past Ruud for Sinner rematch
Ben Shelton turned defensive grit into offensive fire on the Melbourne hard courts, outlasting Casper Ruud in a four-set thriller that earns him another shot at Jannik Sinner. The American’s net charges and mental reset highlight his rising command in major pressure cookers.
In the humid buzz of Rod Laver Arena, Ben Shelton absorbed Casper Ruud’s opening onslaught and flipped the match on its head. The 23-year-old American, seeded eighth at the Australian Open, rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory after two hours and 36 minutes, booking his third quarterfinal in four trips to Melbourne Park. This win caps a season of tactical sharpening, where early frustrations give way to bursts of controlled power.
Shelton’s lefty serve boomed early, but Ruud’s flat groundstrokes pinned him back, forcing scrambles on the low-bouncing Plexicushion. As the Norwegian’s serve wobbled late in the second set—a double fault handing over the break—Shelton pounced with deeper returns, stretching rallies crosscourt to expose gaps. The crowd’s roar built with each shift, fueling the American’s rowdy edge.
“For me, the atmosphere is everything,” said Shelton. “I’m definitely a competitor. I’m rowdy on the court and I look forward to rowdy crowds. Down here in Australia, there’s no shortage… From my first experience, I fell in love with this tournament. It’s one of my favourites marked down on the calendar every year.”
Once ahead, Shelton stormed the net relentlessly, winning 97 percent of his approaches—29 out of 30 points—by mixing volleys with overheads that slammed shut any comeback hopes. In the fourth set, he dropped just three points on serve, closing with an ace that silenced doubts from his uneven start to 2026. Ruud‘s baseline consistency faltered under the heat, his slices losing bite as Shelton redirected with heavy topspin.
Ruud’s serve cracks open doors
Ruud set a clinical tone in the first set, his inside-out forehands skidding low to disrupt Shelton’s rhythm on the quick hard courts. The Norwegian, a clay-court grinder adapting to Melbourne’s pace, relied on first-strike serves that kept points short and forced errors. But lapses crept in—netted volleys and unforced errors in the third—allowing Shelton to counter with one–two patterns, serve followed by a net rush that exploited the court’s width.
Shelton’s footwork sharpened as the match stretched, chasing down deep balls and flipping defense into down-the-line winners. This resilience echoed his growth since last year’s semifinal run here, where mental lapses cost him against top seeds. Now, with the break in the third secured via a sharp backhand pass, the American dictated tempo, his explosive forehands landing inside-in to wrong-foot Ruud repeatedly.
Quarter-Finals Bound! @BenShelton takes out Ruud to advance into a 5th career Grand Slam quarter-final #AO26 pic.twitter.com/Qp1kC6H4y3
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 26, 2026
Net aggression seals the shift
Ahead in the final sets, Shelton’s aggression unlocked his range, blending underspin lobs to reset points with flat forehands that hugged the lines. He finished points at net with authority, turning potential passing shots into volley winners as the Rod Laver crowd surged. Ruud fought with deep crosscourt replies, but the American’s serve averaged 130 mph, setting up short balls the Norwegian couldn’t convert.
This victory marks Shelton’s fifth career Grand Slam quarterfinal, a milestone that steadies his top-10 push amid a year of hard-court breakthroughs. Ruud, reaching the fourth round for the first time since 2021, heads home to Norway, where he and his wife Maria await their daughter. The match’s tactical pivots— from baseline grind to net dominance—preview Shelton’s evolving threat on faster surfaces.
Sinner showdown reignites rivalry
Next up looms Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champion holding an 8-1 head-to-head edge, including last year’s Melbourne semifinal win. Shelton eyes redemption, refining his return depth to counter Sinner’s penetrating flats and occasional serve-volley forays. “It’s what you look forward to most in this sport,” he said. “It’s where I wanted to be. I wanted to be back here. I wanted to give myself another shot, improve on some things I didn’t do as well last year and leave it all out on the court.”
The Australian Open‘s electric atmosphere will amplify Shelton’s competitor fire, where rowdy cheers turn pressure into propulsion. His blend of defense and daring positions him to challenge Sinner’s precision, potentially flipping their lopsided ledger on these skidding courts. As Melbourne heats up, this rematch promises a clash of power and poise, with Shelton’s momentum carrying him forward.
