Shelton after his elimination: "I feel capable of recognizing the flaws in my game".

Ben Shelton's Australian Open career came to an end in the semi-finals. The American player came up against Jannik Sinner (7-6, 6-2, 6-2) after having won two first-set points on his serve at 6-5.

At the press conference, Shelton spoke of his summit encounters against the best players.

"I know I'm close. I have a lot of faith in myself. I just think you have to play these guys a lot, be more consistent and play a lot of matches in second Grand Slam weeks.

Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic... Since I've been on the circuit, they've dominated the major tournaments. Even when they're having a bad day, they still win in three sets, maybe four.

They find solutions, they manage. I think I'm getting close to that. Not having served well this week and still having a good tournament, that can only be positive.

I feel able to recognize the flaws in my game against these players. That gives me a lot of confidence.

I'm disappointed because I'd have liked to see what the match would have been like if I'd won the first set. Going out in five sets was a possible scenario given the situation I was in at the start.

The next time I have set points on my serve, I'll give it an ace," explained Shelton, who was playing in his second Australian semi-final.