Jannik Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final after the defending champion saw off Ben Shelton in straight sets in Melbourne.
World number one Sinner recorded a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2 victory over American Shelton on Rod Laver Arena – the stage where he claimed his first major title 12 months ago.
Earlier on Friday, an injured Novak Djokovic was forced to retire after losing the first set against world number two Zverev.
Zverev, still bidding for a first major title after losing his previous two finals, now faces a daunting task against the in-form Sinner in Sunday’s final.
“We’ve had some tough matches in the past. Anything can happen,” said Sinner, who has lost four of his six meetings with Zverev.
The women’s final between two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys takes place on Saturday.
Reigning US Open champion Sinner is the youngest man to reach multiple Australian Open finals since Jim Courier in 1993.
Italy’s Sinner has been near-unbeatable in the past 12 months and will go into the final on a 20-match winning streak, having not lost a match since 2 October last year.
