Shelton, bidding to achieve his first main ultimate, made a assured begin by breaking Sinner within the first recreation of the match – however that was a bonus the twenty first seed surrendered three video games later after a collection of unforced errors.
Shelton, 22, broke once more for a 6-5 lead and served for the set however squandered two set factors as Sinner dug in to power a tie-break.
Sinner took management from then on, reeling off 5 straight factors to shut out the breaker earlier than shortly going up a double break of serve within the second.
The daunting prospect of needing to return again from two units down towards the highest seed didn’t discourage Shelton from entertaining and interesting the group.
The American reset admirably to power three break factors early within the third set. However, after they went untaken, Sinner struck what proved to be the decisive blow in recreation 5 to extinguish Shelton’s hopes of an unlikely fightback.
Regardless of showing to limp following a clumsy touchdown, Sinner closed out 5 straight video games to safe victory in two hours 36 minutes.
“There was lots of rigidity and I had some slight cramps,” Sinner mentioned afterwards.
“These matches can go very lengthy. Three units in two-and-a-half hours is kind of a while, so I am glad to complete it in three.”
Sinner’s Australian Open title defence comes towards the backdrop of his ongoing doping case, which shall be heard on the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport from 16 April, with the World Anti-Doping Company searching for a ban of between one and two years.