Wed Jan 22 22:59:14 UTC 2025: ## Sinner Crushes De Minaur’s Hopes, Reaches Australian Open Semifinals
**Melbourne, Australia** – Top-seeded Jannik Sinner emphatically ended Australian hopes at the Australian Open, dismantling local favorite Alex de Minaur in a dominant straight-sets victory (6-3, 6-2, 6-1) on Wednesday. The match, played on Rod Laver Arena, lasted just 108 minutes.
Sinner, the defending champion, showed no lingering effects from the illness that hampered him in the previous round. He displayed exceptional movement and power, overwhelming de Minaur with his aggressive baseline game. The Italian’s superior ball-striking proved too much for the eighth-seeded Australian, who managed only four winners in the first set.
De Minaur, despite the passionate support of the home crowd, struggled to find answers to Sinner’s relentless attack. The Italian broke de Minaur’s serve early in each set, maintaining control throughout the match. Sinner’s victory extends his unbeaten record against Australian opponents to 20 matches.
“Today I felt like I was feeling everything,” Sinner said post-match. He attributed his quick recovery from his previous illness to his youth and a relatively easy day of practice.
Sinner will now face American Ben Shelton in the semifinals. Shelton secured his place in the last four with a hard-fought four-set victory over Lorenzo Sonego (6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4)). Sinner’s semifinal opponent poses a significant challenge as he seeks to defend his Australian Open title and become the first Italian man to win three Grand Slam titles. His potential final opponents are Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
First Piper 