Ok…. We have a break in the opening game of the match and it goes to Ben Shelton! Jannik Sinner makes a nervy start behind serve, giving Shelton two break points after a backhand into the net.

Shelton takes advantage as he finds the forehand winner down the line, as Sinner pushed into the net and the American produces the lefty strike. That will settle the 22-year-old.

Ben Shelton won his first ever meeting with Jannik Sinner, on a hard court at Shanghai in 2023.

But the World No 1 has won all four of their matches since, including in the last-16 of Wimbledon last year.

Sinner will serve to get us underway.

Alex de Minaur provided an insight into what it’s like facing Jannik Sinner after his brutal 6-3 6-2 6-1 defeat to the Italian on Wednesday. The defending champion looked unstoppable and De Minaur agreed that he is looking like a red-hot favourite.

“He’s built this aura up from beating everyone,” De Minaur said. “It’s not like he’s just had a good week here or good week there. He’s just beaten everyone.

“I think the best way to describe it is the fact that he was able to play Novak here and play pretty flawless, and, again, not give him too many games, right? Novak out here is probably the best player to have ever played on these courts, right?

“The fact that he’s got this top level that he can do this to players, it’s pretty tough. You go into the match, and you know it’s going to be a battle, it’s going to be tough, you’re going to try different things.

“But then you’re an hour and 30 in, and you’re struggling to win games, and you’re trying to find ways to get on the board. It’s pretty surreal.”

We have another Australian Open semi-final coming up, as defending champion Jannik Sinner faces Ben Shelton for a place in Sunday’s final.

While Alexander Zverev has his feet up, following Novak Djokovic’s abrupt retirement, Sinner and Shelton will expect to go the distance on Rod Laver Arena.

Sinner has won 12 matches in a row at Melbourne Park after winning his first grand slam title last year and the World No 1 was in stunning form as he destroyed Alex de Minuar in the quarter-finals.

Shelton is a rising star and plays in his second grand slam semi-final. The American has one of the biggest serves in the sport and has an explosive game that could test the top seed.

Alexander Zverev will have the chance to win his first grand slam title with the German second seed through to the Australian Open final for the first time.

The 27-year-old is widely regarded as the best men’s player in the world yet to win a grand slam and he will play in his third grand slam final.

Zverev lost in the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Theim, when he was two points away from the match, and in last year’s French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

He will either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton on Sunday and will certainly have the advantage of only playing for 82 minutes in the semi-finals.

Novak Djokovic did not rule out appearing at the Qatar Open in Doha, which begins on 17 February, as the 37-year-old discussed his next steps after injury.

“I have to examine it more. When I go back home now to Europe, I will get together with the medical team and my physios and try to understand what we can do and the quickest way to recover and get back on track.

“I still have Doha tournament in few weeks’ time that is scheduled. Whether I’m going to play it or not, it really does depend on how quickly I recover.

“But I had success with quick recoveries in the past. Let’s see. It just depends on the muscle and how it responds to the treatment.”

“I didn’t hit a ball since Alcaraz match, so until like an hour before today’s match. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had, medications and the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today.

“But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle for me at the moment. Unfortunate ending, but I tried

“If I won the first set, maybe I would try [to play on]. Maybe a few more games, half a set, maybe a set. I don’t know. It was getting worse and worse.

“I knew even if I won the first set, that it’s going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for another God knows what, two, three, four hours.

“I don’t think I had that, unfortunately, today in the tank.”

Novak Djokovic and coach Andy Murray will discuss their future together after injury brought the Serbian’s bid for a 25th grand slam title to a premature end at the Australian Open.

Djokovic shocked the tennis world last year when appointed former rival Murray as his coach on a short-term agreement through to the end of the first grand slam of the season.

Murray admitted the offer took him by surprise after telling friends that he did not plan on turning to coaching following his retirement from the game.

But Djokovic said he would only have “positive” feedback for Murray, and praised his impact following the quarter-final win over his young rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic said he “liked his chances” of reaching the Australian Open final if he was physically fit and says he now wants Alexander Zverev to lift his first grand slam title.

“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months, to be honest,” Djokovic said.

“Of course, it was never going to be an easy battle, an easy match for me. Neither it was for Sascha, even if I was not injured.

“But as I said, I think I was striking the ball very well. A lot of positives to take in terms of how I reached the semi-finals. It’s a very good result considering the circumstances.

“But it’s not satisfying to me, for my standards. I always look for the highest goal, to reach the finals and fight for a trophy.

“I wish Sascha all the best. He deserves his first slam. I’ll be cheering for him. Hopefully he can get it.”

Novak Djokovic when asked if he is concerned that injuries are getting in the way of his quest to win a 25th grand slam, as he approaches the age of 38.

“How much of a worry is it? I don’t know. It’s not like I’m worrying about approaching every grand slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years.

“So it is true that, you know, I’ve been getting injured quite a bit last few years. I don’t know what exactly is the reason for that. Maybe there are several different factors.

“But I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around.”