The young American said he felt his level was close to that of the Italian champion, on the sidelines of the Melbourne challenge

Defending champion Jannik Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open men's final on Sunday. Sinner is seeking his third Grand Slam title overall.

Sinner, the world No. 1 and defending champion, reached his second straight Australian Open final with a 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 semifinal victory over No. 21 Ben Shelton, the Atlanta native. The Italian improved to 15-0 against Americans in majors.