Ben Shelton told the fans they could heckle him in the semi-final (Image: Eurosport)
Ben Shelton told the Australian Open fans they were allowed to “boo and throw things at my head” after advancing to the semi-final for the first time.
The American defeated Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 7-5 4-6 7-6(4) to move into the last four and admitted it was one of his favourite matches he’d played.
Shelton now has a tough task on his hands, he faces either world No. 1 or home favourite Alex de Minaur.
Back in 2023, Shelton left his home country for the first time and travelled Down Under for the , where he stormed into the quarter-final before crashing out.
Two years on, the 21st seed has gone one better and booked his spot in Friday’s semi-final. Shelton needed almost four hours to get past dangerous Italian Sonego, saving a break point early in the fourth set before taking it in a tiebreak.
It won’t get any easier for Shelton, who will likely be playing against the crowd as well as his next opponent. He will meet the winner of the last quarter-final between Sinner and De Minaur – the reigning champion and the top-ranked Australian.
The 22-year-old is well aware that the crowd will be pulling for his opponent in the next round and he’s even encouraged them to give him some trouble.
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“Well, I mean, if it’s the home favourite, Alex de Minaur, 100 per cent you guys can boo me, you can throw stuff at my head. I understand, home guy,” Shelton laughed.
“If it’s the No. 1 in the world, it’ll probably be the same. I’m looking forward to it. I know I got a few people in the crowd who are going to be pulling for me too.”
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