Shelton joins Monfils in the last 16 of the Australian Open

Gaël Monfils knows his opponent for the last 16 in Melbourne. The Frenchman, who defeated Taylor Fritz in a high-level four-set match, will face another American player in the next round.

This is Ben Shelton, who got the better of Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6). The world's 20th-ranked player had previously eliminated Brandon Nakashima and Pablo Carreño-Busta.

This is the first time Shelton has beaten the Italian in three meetings. A quarter-finalist in Melbourne in 2023, he will be aiming to reach this stage of the Australian Major for the second time in his career.

To do so, he will have to overcome Monfils, who has made an excellent start to the season and is on an eight-match winning streak.

This will be the first ever meeting between the two men on the main circuit. It's a match that's sure to create sparks.