AO 2025 - QF: Swiatek and Sinner soar into the Final Four

Madison Keys and Ben Shelton also continue to fly the flag for the stars and stripes at Melbourne Park.

Iga Swiatek / Quarts de finale Open d'Australie 2025©Corinne Dubreuil / FFT
 - Alex Sharp

It was a day of contrasts Down Under at Australian Open 2025.

Jannik Sinner proved why he is the clear world No.1, Iga Swiatek demonstrated how she has already collected five majors. On the other hand, American duo Madison Keys and Ben Shelton had to grind it out, find a way.

The semi-finals await. Here are the key storylines from Melbourne Park…

Swiatek "ruthless" from start to finish

No.2 seed Iga Swiatek has always been honest with her struggles to find top gear in Melbourne. Not anymore.

The Pole has now relinquished just 14 games this fortnight, following a clinical 6-1, 6-2 passage past Emma Navarro.

Playing on instincts, not wrapped up in a pursuit of perfection, Swiatek is going to take some stopping this week. 

"I'm proud that I've been doing the same kind of work with good intensity and just pushing my opponents from the beginning of the matches," said Swiatek, back into the semi-finals like AO 2022.

"For sure today was tougher than the score says… Being in the semis is great, so I’ll push for more."

That’s a warning sign for title rivals Aryna Sabalenka and co. Over to Navarro to summarise what it's like over the net from an on-song Swiatek. 

"I think something she does really well is she's really quick, and she does everything with 100 percent conviction and intensity," stated the world No.8.

"She has a different style of movement and play. It's tough to not be sort of affected by that and not feel like, 'Okay, I have to do everything at the same speed that she's doing it.' So that was something, for sure, I felt a little bit today.

"I guess ruthless is a good word. Yeah, it's tough to play against."

Keys unlocks another major move

Swiatek will have to retain her ruthless streak in the Final Four against Madison Keys on Thursday.

The US Open 2017 finalist is utilising all her experience and knowhow to conjure up a captivating start to the season.

The recent Adelaide International champion extended her unbeaten streak to 10 matches courtesy of a battling 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback over Elina Svitolina.

The post match point roar said it all. Keys is here for the silverware.

"Hit big! I've just been trusting my game and going for it," declared the 29-year-old, who holds a 1-4 head-to-head facing Swiatek. "It feels great. I'm really, really proud of myself to be in another semi-final here (2015, 2022) and kind of hoping and looking forward to see if I can make it one step further.

"This is really what they call the business end of the tournament. So as much as you have experience in all of that, at the end of the day it's also you just have to go out and do your best and leave it all out there. I think as long as I can do that, no matter what happens, then I can walk away with my head held high."

Sinner the showstopper downs Demon

During his on-court interview with Jim Courier, Jannik Sinner was rattling off the jokes, stating: "Me talking, I'm not the best entertainer."

The imperious Italian let his tennis do the talking on Rod Laver Arena, brushing green and gold star Alex de Minaur aside 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, built on 27 winners and staving off the only break point he faced.

Now 10-0 in encounters against de Minaur, the defending champion conjured up yet another masterclass.

"I was feeling everything, when you break quite early in each set it’s a little bit easier but Alex is a very tough competitor, he’s an amazing player," said the world No.1.

"These kind of matches can go quickly but they can also change very fast if I go down a level a little bit, he takes opportunities, so I’m very happy about my performance."

To underline Sinner's superiority, at 23-years-old and 159 days, he's the youngest man to reach back-to-back semi-finals at the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal in 2008-9.

Shelton shows steel

By his own admission, this wasn’t Ben Shelton at his rocket-fuel best. The big W is all that matters as the American booked a maiden Australian Open semi-final.

The absorbing 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) scoreboard with Lorenzo Sonego sends the No.21 into a popcorn clash with Sinner on Friday night.

World No.55 Sonego canvassed the net to pin Shelton back with a 67/90 success rate. The 22-year-old had to improvise, to remain calm under constant pressure.

“I feel relieved right now,” said Shelton, a semi-finalist at US Open 2023. “Shout out Lorenzo Sonego, because that was some ridiculous tennis. I’m just happy to go through, to get my first win on Rod Laver Arena. It was one of my favourite matches of my career.”

Sonego, who halted Next Gen sensations Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien this fortnight, was relentless in attack. Break point down in the opening game of the second set he dived to reach a last-ditch backhand volley that somehow spun back over the net. Shelton, ever the good sport, shook his hand.

It was that kind of shot-making that Shelton had to withstand, but when it got tight, the world No.20 found the right moves.

"Your base game has to be good enough that you can win at 70 percent or 80 percent," insisted Shelton, describing his Grand Slam development. "You don't have to use everything in your arsenal and play perfect tennis to be winning out here.

"I think that that's really, really important for me, winning in different ways when I'm having an off day." 

Shelton, 1-4 in encounters with reigning champion Sinner, is taken aback by his sharp rise in recent seasons.

"I'm not sure this is what I expected when my career started. Honestly, as a kid, once I stopped playing football, I was always a little bit heavy. Not fat, but just heavy, carrying a lot of weight. I always struggled physically. I would get deep in matches and I'd be cramping or tired and have no energy left," revealed the American.

"For me to be able to handle the physicality of five sets. I saw a stat, I'm 24 and 8 in the Grand Slams that I have gotten direct acceptance to, which is nine. For me it's really special to be playing at these big tournaments and playing my best tennis at the big tournaments."