In a series of surprising upsets, American tennis players Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda faced defeats in the semi-finals of their respective Australian Open tune-up events.
Ben Shelton, the World No. 16 and last year’s Melbourne Park quarter-finalist, suffered a setback against Japan’s Taro Daniel, ranked 74th globally, at the Auckland Classic. Daniel clinched the match 7-5, 7-6(9), marking his fifth victory against a top 20 player. Daniel’s win propels him to his first tour final since 2018, where he will face Alejandro Tabilo, who advanced by defeating Arthur Fils 6-2, 7-5.
Reflecting on the match, Daniel acknowledged the challenge of playing against Shelton, emphasizing the intense tie-break as a pivotal moment.
Meanwhile, at the Adelaide International, Sebastian Korda, ranked 29th, was decisively beaten by World No. 32 Jiri Lehecka with a score of 6-2, 6-1. Lehecka moves on to face Britain’s Jack Draper in the final. Draper, who ousted top seed Tommy Paul earlier, continued his formidable form by defeating Alexander Bublik to secure his spot in the final.
In women’s tennis, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko gained momentum ahead of the Australian Open with a win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Adelaide semi-finals. Ostapenko is set to face Daria Kasatkina in the final, after Jessica Pegula withdrew due to illness.
The Hobart International will see its top two seeds in the final, with American Emma Navarro defeating Yuan Yue and Belgium’s Elise Mertens overcoming Australia’s Daria Saville in their respective semi-finals.
These tournaments set an exciting stage for the upcoming Australian Open, showcasing a mix of expected triumphs and surprising defeats.