Swiatek will face No. 19 Madison Keys of the U.S. on Thursday night for a berth in the final. The other women’s semifinal is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, against her good friend, No. 11 Paula Badosa.

Ben Shelton, 22, has slowly been rising up the rankings - having reached the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park in 2023 and the US Open semi-finals last year. He comes from a properly tennis family. His Dad Bryan Shleton won two ATP titles, while his mum Lisa Witsken Shelton boasts a fine junior record.

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are eyeing a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Monday while golden couple Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina hope to extend their family odyssey. Defending champion Sinner breezed through his third-round match in straight sets but his opponent Holger Rune was taken to five for the second time in three matches.