Day eleven of the 2026 Australian Open continued the fortnight’s trend of delivering some drama, with both quarter-finals ending in just over two hours of play.
Jannik Sinner continued his dominant title defense with a clinical straight sets victory over Ben Shelton, again exposing the gulf in consistency and return quality between the two.
In the other quarter-final, Novak Djokovic advanced to his 13th Australian Open semi-final without winning a set, as Lorenzo Musetti retired while leading by two sets and firmly in control.
With the semifinals now set, the tournament moves forward, with the top four seeds all present in the last four: Sinner takes on Djokovic and Alcaraz faces Zverev on Friday.
Australian Open 2026 Results Day 11
| Winner | Loser | Score line |
|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic (4) | Lorenzo Musetti (5) | 4-6 3-6 3-1 (RET) |
| Jannik Sinner (2) | Ben Shelton (8) | 6-3 6-4 6-4 |
Daily summary
Novak Djokovic (4) def. Lorenzo Musetti (5) 4-6 3-6 3-1 (RET)
Novak Djokovic advanced to his 13th Australian Open semi-final, and he has gone victorious in both of his last two matches without winning a set.
After Mensik pulled out before his fourth round match on Monday, Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire while leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 in his quarter-final at Rod Laver Arena.
The Italian No. 5 seed had produced one of the standout performances of the tournament up to that point, controlling the match with exceptional variety, baseline precision and aggressive play that repeatedly disrupted Djokovic’s rhythm.
Musetti overturned an early 0-2 deficit in the opening set, broke Djokovic’s serve five times over the first two sets and appeared firmly in command before an upper right leg injury struck in the third game of the third set.
Despite receiving treatment from the physio at 1-2 in the third, Musetti was unable to continue and retired after two hours and eight minutes.
It was a sad ending as Musetti was well on his way to the last four, but his retirement record is not great, as he has had 10 losses by way of mid-match retirement. Soft.
I don’t know what to say except that I really feel bad for him and he was a much better player. I was on my way home tonight. Things like this happen in sports. It happened to me a few times, but to be in a Grand Slam, two sets to love and in full control, it’s so unfortunate. I don’t know what else to say and I really wish him a speedy recovery. He should have been a winner today, no doubt. Djokovic on his lucky win.
Match statistics
| Key statistics | Lorenzo Musetti | Novak Djokovic |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 29 | 26 |
| Unforced errors | 23 | 32 |
| Ace | 4 | 4 |
| Double mistake | 3 | 1 |
| 1st serving % | 61% (39/64) | 64% (54/85) |
| 1st Serve point won | 64% (25/39) | 61% (33/54) |
| 2nd serve point won | 48% (25/12) | 39% (31/12) |
| Breakpoints saved | 57% (4/7) | 55% (6/11) |
| 1st return point won | 39% (21/54) | 36% (14/39) |
| 2nd return point won | 61% (19/31) | 52% (13/25) |
| Break point won | 45% (5/11) | 43% (3/7) |
| Return game | 42% (5/12) | 27% (3/11) |
| Pressure points | 50% (9/18) | 50% (9/18) |
| Service points | 58% (37/64) | 53% (45/85) |
| Return points | 47% (40/85) | 42% (27/64) |
| Net points | 60% (6/10) | 63% (20/32) |
| Total points | 52% (77/149) | 48% (72/149) |
| Match point saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max points in a row | 11 | 6 |
| Total game | 57% (13/23) | 43% (10/23) |
| Max games in a row | 4 | 3 |
Highlights
Press conference
Jannik Sinner (2) def. Ben Shelton (8) 6-3 6-4 6-4
Jannik Sinner continued his relentless pursuit of a third straight Australian Open title, producing another dominant and composed performance to defeat Ben Shelton in straight sets to reach his ninth Grand Slam semi-final.
I couldn’t see anything but a Sinner demolition job, and the two-time defending champion brushed aside the eighth-seeded American 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 23 minutes.
Sinner never let Shelton find a consistent rhythm, exposing his weaknesses, especially on the backhand, but he also rushed his forehand.
Shelton created three break points in the second set but squandered them all, leaking 17 unforced errors, allowing Sinner to pull ahead and in the ninth game of the third set, Shelton double-faulted at 15/40 to give Sinner the break.
Shelton has plenty of power, moves well, and he has a good mindset when facing break points, but in bread-and-butter rallies, he won’t trouble Sinner; he will not win enough return points, which is why he has only won 2 sets in his 10 meetings.
It’s very tough to play against Ben. He has a huge, huge serve and I feel like he’s improving so much, year after year. Especially after the offseason, you don’t know how certain players are going to play against you and change a lot of things. I am very satisfied with today’s performance. Sensing his gain.
Match statistics
| Key statistics | Ben Shelton | Jannik Sinner |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 31 | 33 |
| Unforced errors | 34 | 16 |
| Ace | 8 | 5 |
| Double mistake | 3 | 2 |
| 1st serving % | 69% (70/102) | 59% (54/91) |
| 1st Serve point won | 69% (48/70) | 78% (42/54) |
| 2nd serve point won | 41% (13/32) | 65% (24/37) |
| Breakpoints saved | 75% (9/12) | 100% (4/4) |
| 1st return point won | 22% (12/54) | 31% (22/70) |
| 2nd return point won | 35% (13/37) | 59% (19/32) |
| Break point won | 0% (0/4) | 25% (3/12) |
| Return game | 0% (0/15) | 21% (3/14) |
| Pressure points | 56% (9/16) | 44% (7/16) |
| Service points | 60% (61/102) | 73% (66/91) |
| Return points | 27% (25/91) | 40% (41/102) |
| Net points | 70% (21/30) | 83% (20/24) |
| Total points | 45% (86/193) | 55% (107/193) |
| Match point saved | 1 | 0 |
| Max points in a row | 5 | 7 |
| Total game | 38% (29/11) | 62% (18/29) |
| Max games in a row | 1 | 3 |
Highlights
Australian Open 2026 Day 13 Semi-Final Matches
- Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Alexander Zverev (3)
- Novak Djokovic (4) vs Jannik Sinner (1)
