Ben Shelton will face Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open quarter-final, arranging another duel against world no. 2.
The American faced Casper Ruud in the fourth round and earned a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory in two hours and 36 minutes.
Big Ben LOVES Melbourne 🇦🇺
The American is through to his third AO quarterfinal after outlasting Casper Ruud in four sets@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/7CcJuPbUUX
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2026
Ben played better behind the first and second serve. He did lose serve once from three chances offered to his rival, but the Norwegian was the one who felt the pressure after taking the opener.
Casper took only 16 points on the return and offered his rival ten break chances. A left-hander seized three from set number two to emerge at the top and send his rival to a happy trip home, as his wife is about to give a birth.
Ben attacked and landed 55 winners and 45 unforced errors. He played flawless tennis at the net and outplayed world no. 13 in the shortest and more advanced rallies.
Ruud saved two break points in the first game of the duel and held after the rival's loose forehand. Shelton struggled on serve in the fourth game and sprayed a double fault to drop serve and fall 3-1 behind.
Casper Ruud & Ben Shelton, Australian Open 2026© Stream screenshot
Casper barely lost a point in three service games by the end of the set. He landed a service winner at 5-3 to close the first part of the duel and move in front. They served well in the opening nine games of the second set.
A left-hander moved 5-4 up with a booming serve and stepped in on the return in the next one. Ruud missed a backhand at 4-5 and faced a set point. The Norwegian sprayed a forehand error, allowing the American to take the set 6-4 and gain a boost.
Both players missed a break point in games four and five of the third set. Shelton painted a backhand down the line winner in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead and stepped in on the return in the next one from 15-40.
Casper wasted his chances and sprayed a wayward forehand on a break point to fall 5-3 behind. The American served for the set in game nine and held at 15 after the rival's error to wrap up the set and move closer to the finish line.
Ben Shelton, Australian Open 2026© Stream screenshot
A top-10 player dropped a couple of points in five service games of the fourth set and kept the pressure on the other side. Casper struggled on serve in games three, five and seven and failed to survive.
He denied a pair of break points at 1-1 and mirrored that at 2-2 after landing two winners. However, Ben made another push at 3-3 and welcomed Casper's mistake on a break point for a crucial advantage.
Shelton held with a powerful serve in game eight and held at love with a forehand crosscourt winner at 5-4 for a place in the quarter-final.
