Paul beats Shelton in all-US quarterfinal at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — (AP) — Tommy Paul reached his first Grand Slam semifinal and ended the shocking run of Ben Shelton by profitable their all-American matchup on the Australian Open 7-6 (6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Wednesday.

Paul, a 25-year-old from New Jersey, is the primary man from his nation to make it to the ultimate 4 at Melbourne Park since Andy Roddick in 2009. Roddick was additionally the final man from the U.S. to win a Grand Slam singles championship, on the U.S. Open 20 years in the past.

The Thirty fifth-ranked Paul was a star as a junior, taking the 2015 title on the French Open and attending to the ultimate at Flushing Meadows that yr. As a professional, he owns one tour-level title, at Stockholm in 2021 and, till this week, had made it so far as the fourth spherical at only one Grand Slam match — at Wimbledon a yr in the past.

His semifinal opponent can be 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic or No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev. Djokovic entered their match on Wednesday night time with a 43-10 profession document in main quarterfinals; Rublev’s mark at that stage was 0-6.

The opposite males’s semifinal Friday is No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas towards No. 18 Karen Khachanov.

The ladies’s semifinals Thursday night time (3:30 a.m. Thursday EST) can be two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka vs. reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, and No. 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka vs. unseeded Magda Linette.

Azarenka, at age 33 the oldest lady left, and Rybakina, at age 23 the youngest, superior with victories Tuesday; Sabalenka and Linette received quarterfinals Wednesday.

Sabalenka improved to 9-0 in 2023 with out dropping a set but by saving 12 of 14 break factors whereas beating Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-2.

Linette by no means acquired previous the third spherical in 29 different Grand Slam tournaments — and exited within the first spherical at 17 of these — however remains to be round after a 6-3, 7-5 win over two-time main finalist Karolina Pliskova. Linette’s means to scramble and prolong factors troubled Pliskova, who completed with the identical variety of winners, 18, however much more unforced errors, 36 to 16.

“Some gamers, you type of really feel that the court docket is a bit greater and you’ve got many locations the place to play,” Pliskova stated in regards to the Forty fifth-ranked Linette. “However together with her, I didn’t actually really feel that method.”

Sabalenka made it to the fourth semifinal in her previous six main appearances, however she is 0-3 to date at that stage.

“I really feel a little bit bit completely different. I feel that I misplaced these three semifinals simply because I wasn’t actually calm on court docket. I used to be overdoing issues. I actually needed to get (a) Slam. I used to be speeding lots. I used to be nervous lots. Screaming, doing all these items,” Sabalenka stated. “Proper now I’m a little bit bit extra calm on court docket. I actually consider that that is the one factor that was lacking in my sport. If I can maintain keep that focus and that calm on court docket, I can get by way of it.”

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