Australian Open Day 9: Shelton rallies past Ruud as Swiatek and Sinner reach the last eight

Shelton turns the match after dropping the first set

Ben Shelton pushed deeper into the Australian Open after shaking off an early deficit and defeating Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Ruud took the opener by absorbing pace and forcing longer exchanges, but Shelton steadily imposed his athletic, forward-moving style as the match wore on.

The American’s serving and net play became decisive. By tightening his patterns, choosing smarter moments to attack, and finishing points at the front of the court, Shelton flipped the pressure onto Ruud, who struggled to regain the initiative once the match shifted into Shelton’s preferred rhythm.

Sinner advances and sets a marquee quarterfinal

Jannik Sinner also reached the quarterfinals, defeating Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2). Although the third set tested him more than the first two, Sinner managed the late tension and closed strongly in the tiebreak to keep his tournament on track.

The result sets up a blockbuster meeting with Shelton in a repeat of last year’s high-level clash between the two. Their contrasting styles—Shelton’s explosive shotmaking and court coverage versus Sinner’s precision and baseline control—should make the matchup one of the tournament’s most anticipated quarterfinals.

Swiatek cruises as the women’s quarterfinals take shape

On the women’s side, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek continued her efficient run with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. Swiatek’s returning and consistency quickly stretched rallies in her favor, and she took the first set without dropping a game.

Inglis found a moment of joy early in the second set when she broke Swiatek and celebrated with the home crowd, but the Pole’s control reasserted itself as the match progressed. Swiatek now moves into a quarterfinal meeting with Elena Rybakina, a matchup that promises a major test of pace, serving, and first-strike tennis.

Top seeds keep surviving as the tournament tightens

Day 9 reinforced a theme of this year’s draw: the top players are largely holding their positions deep into the second week. That steadiness is leaving fewer surprises and more heavyweight pairings, with the men’s and women’s fields narrowing toward matchups that could resemble late-round finals quality.

As the quarterfinal stage begins, margins tighten and momentum becomes crucial. For Shelton, the challenge is sustaining aggression without leaking errors. For Swiatek and Sinner, the task is maintaining their baseline control against opponents who can take the racquet out of their hands with power.