Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz are the two biggest American hopes on the men’s side at the 2026 Australian Open, going into the second week. While Fritz is playing under an injury cloud and has dropped a couple of sets in the three matches, Shelton has reached the fourth round without dropping a set in the tournament.
Let’s take a look at the respective fourth-round matchups for the two American stars in the second week of the Australian Open.
Ben Shelton To Face Casper Ruud in the Australian Open 4R
Last year’s semifinalist, 8th-seeded Ben Shelton, is all set to face 12th-seeded Casper Ruud in the fourth round at the Australian Open. Shelton began his campaign with straight set victories over Ugo Humbert and Australian qualifier, Dane Sweeney, in the first couple of rounds. In the third round, he faced 30th-seeded Valentin Vacherot, winning 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Ruud, on the other hand, started his campaign in Melbourne with straight-set victories over Mattia Bellucci and Jaume Munar in the first two rounds. The Norwegian faced the 2018 runner-up, Marin Čilić, in the third round, winning 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
Ruud has a 2-1 head-to-head lead, but Shelton’s current form is a major factor, prompting the PFSN Simulator to slightly favor the American with a 52% win probability.
Shelton has won 81% of the first-serve points in his three matches so far, while Ruud has a 79% win rate behind that shot. The upcoming match could be a showdown between the two players’ forehands.
Shelton’s serve will be a key determinant in the contest, as if the American can land his first serves, he will have the advantage, whereas if Ruud can get on top during return games, the Norwegian will have the upper hand.
Pick– Shelton to win in four sets.
Taylor Fritz Will Be Looking for Second Melbourne Quarterfinal As He Faces Lorenzo Musetti in 4R
Ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz has a blockbuster clash all set up against fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round at the 2026 Australian Open. Fritz began his campaign with a four-set win against Valentin Royer in the first round, followed by a straight-sets win over Vit Kopřiva in the second round. In the third round, he faced former champion Stan Wawrinka, winning 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Musetti began his journey in Melbourne with a win via retirement against Raphael Collignon in the first round, followed by a routine straight-set victory over countryman Lorenzo Sonego in the second round. In the third round, the fifth seed faced Tomáš Macháč, and after a four-hour-long battle in the heat, the Italian won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time.
The head-to-head is tied at 3-3 between the two players, with Fritz having a slightly higher win probability of 55% according to the PFSN Simulator. Both players had injury concerns coming into the event, and a lot will depend on whether Musetti has recovered from his four-hour-long slugfest in the previous match.
Fritz should be able to get it done, as the American has won both his last hard-court encounters against the Italian.
Pick– Fritz to win in four sets
