By 3 News online staff
Good evening and welcome to the Australian Open Women’s singles final between Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka.
Join us for video live updates, match highlights, live streaming commentary and more as the battle for No. 1 ranking in the world begins.
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LIVE SCORE….. Victoria Azarenka too strong, winning the Australion Open 2012 Women's title in straight sets.
Azarenka 6 5
Sharapova 3 0
We'll get some video up of Azarenka getting presented with the Australian Open 2012 trophy soon...
Game 6, set 2: She starts what could be the final game by winning the first point.... Sharapova knows she's fighting for her life and she doesn't want the white-wash... but any come-back will me meteoric. Ohhh... magic from Azarenka. Wiiner number 13 - video up. Flame no quite extinguished as Sharapova fights and has a break chance... but it's back to 40-all as Sharapova just has not been able to match the ground strokes with Azarenka. Here it is... her chance to take the title as Azarenka gets two points straight... it's all over! Azarenka wins!
Game 5, set 2: Sharapova serving trying to fight her way back into this one but whatever she does Azarenka has a reply for it. This is a steam roll right now. game... this is a whitewash. Another break and Azarekna will serve for the match and Australian Open tite.
Game 4, set 2: This is a walk in the park for Azarenka at this stage. she's leading 40-15 and Sharapova has no answer right now. She went for it and landed one right on the line for a little respite - throwing caution to the wind. Bit Azarenka goes on her merry way to lead 4-0.
Game 3, set 2: Sharapova with real problems. Victoria Azarenka well on her way to winning this now with Azarenka taking a double break. Shara just can't get into the match and it's all one way traffic.
Game 2, set 2: Azarekna serving... another forehand winner to the right-hand side of the court levels it up to 30-all for Azarenka. Fabulous return of serve from Sharapova gives her a chance to break back. Video up. Azarenka goes from a defensive position, gets a 50:50 ball and swings onto attack for 40-all. She then wins the next point with ease and serves for the game... Sharapova hitting the top of the net and azarenka comes back in the second set after being a break point down to lead 2-0.
Game 1, set 2: Azarenka making Sharpova pay now and wins the opening game of the second set. Broke her serve to start putting even more of a spring into her step. Video up.
Game 9, set 1: Azarenka serving for the first set... Going to plan, up 30-0 before Sharapova puts a winner to the corner. Great double backhand from Azarenka and she's calling all the tunes now in this set, 40-15 with two set points. FIRST SET TO AZARENKA.
Game 8, set 1: Sharapova trying to put an end to this strong run from Azarenka. It's hit 40-all as Sharapova struggles to holds serve - her first serve really been missing.Ohhh Sharapova misses and hits the net - Azarenka with a break chance for 5-3, but Sharapova fights hard and finds the corner of the net. Video up. Another good Azarenka rally with a volley to the corner... this is back and forth stuff, and again to take the advantage. She's overpowering Sharapova with her ground strokes. A drop shot means the Sharapova shot sits up and it's put away by Azarekna for the break, 5-3. Video up.
Game 7, set 1: Azarenka guessing the right way after a 17 shot rally leads 30-0. Nice forehand winner from Maria. She comes back to 30-all... this is a vital game... a big kicking forehand with a pace change-up catches Sharapova out... Azarenka takes the game with a great lob after a superb rally. Video up.
Game 6, set 1: Sharapova now with the pressure on at 30-all. Great first serve from Sharapova catches Azarenka by surprise... can she hold.... not just yet as the ball is long for deuce. Best rally of the match so far and Sharapova misses a forehand with an open court - advantage Sharapova. She holds.
Game 5, set 1: Azarenka with the ball...Sharapova gets angry and fires one back. Convincing stuff from Victoria and she has her nose in front for the first time, leads 3-2.
Game 4, set 1: Sharapova with serve... oh here's comes the Azarenka game as the nerves have been shaken away. Backhand win down the line makes it 0-30. Another winner and there are suddenly three break points. Sharapova with six unforced errors after a flying start... Shara's long and it's a break back to love - challenge, and it's long still. Azarenka breaks.
Game 3, set 1: Azarenka in trouble all ready and she's 0-30 down in this one too. Missing lots of serves, she fights back with a great forehand that grabs the line. Sharapova is then long and it's 30-30. Sharapova a little annoyed as she got a second serve in the hitting zone and sprayed it wide.Oh great winner by Azarenka down the line to hold serve. Video up.
Game 2, set 1: Heavy hitting from Sharapova sees her go up 30-0. Ohhh... nice serve right down the line from Sharapova and it's 40-0... Azarenka picks a point back... and she's just long again, a challenge from Sharapova, it's good and the point will be replayed. Strong finish and Sharapova holds serve. Impressive.
Game 1, set 1: Azarenka serving... starts with a fault. Her backhand let's her down and Sharapova wins the first point of the match as her opponent finds the top of the tape.She fights right back though and Sharapova misses a forehand long. Double fault early - nerves - makes it 15-30. Another double two points later gives Sharapova the break chance.... Azarenka saves with a strong forehand to the corner.... nervous start, Sharapova breaks.
Players are coming out onto the court now... Sharapova will receive the first serve game...
The match will begin shortly… in the meantime watch highlights earlier in the tournament.
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Prematch banter
The age gap is only two years, the difference in experience is vast.
Maria Sharapova will play her sixth Grand Slam final at the Australian Open on Saturday against Victoria Azarenka, who is through to her first. And it isn't just a major title on the line. The winner will also claim the No. 1 ranking.
Three years after winning the last of her three major titles and approaching eight years since she lifted the Wimbledon trophy at 17, Sharapova has another chance to add to her Grand Slam haul.
"It means so much to be back in a Grand Slam final," Sharapova said. "It's nice to get that far again (here) after losing quite early in the last couple of years."
Now 24, Sharapova has already been on tour long enough to experience the ups and downs of tennis. After winning the Australian Open in 2008, she underwent shoulder surgery that took her out of the game for nine months.
It took much longer for her to get back to anywhere near her peak, and she lost at the Australian Open before the quarterfinals on her last two visits.
She reached the Wimbledon final last year, but lost to Petra Kvitova – the player she beat in Thursday's semifinals.
"With the shoulder, I knew some examples of some people that did not quite recover from surgery and that was a little frightening, but I really had no option," she said. "Of course it took a long time and it was a process, but it was just something that was in my steps that I had to go through. And I did."
The Florida-based Russian often speaks like a veteran of the game – and she showed her experience in dealing with the media in the way she swatted away persistent questions about her grunting following her quarterfinal win.
"No one important enough has told me to change or do something different," she said. "I've answered it many times before. I'm sure I'll answer it many more times ahead. I'm OK with that."
But the high-pitched grunting is certain to be high on the agenda when two of the noisiest players in the women's game go head-to-head in the final. The WTA, which runs the women's game, says it is looking at ways to reduce the practice, which it accepts has become "bothersome" for fans.
Any action is likely to start with young players though. Both Sharapova and Azarenka say it has been part of their game since they were growing up, and neither has any intention of changing.
Azarenka's high-pitched hooting has been mimicked by the crowd at times during her Australian Open run, but the 22-year-old Belarusian has maintained her composure throughout.
By beating defending champion Kim Clijsters in the semifinals, the third-seeded Azarenka took her winning streak to 11 matches after claiming the Sydney International title ahead of the Australian Open.
Like Sharapova, Azarenka has dropped two sets in Melbourne, including one against Clijsters in the semifinals. It could have been much worse against the Belgian. Leading 4-2 against the four-time Grand Slam champion and crowd favourite, Azarenka was broken back after holding five game points.
No problem.
She broke right back and after a nervy double-fault on her first match point, closed out the win. She said her ability to finish off matches like the one against Clijsters is down to hard work and experience.
"Even if you believe 1 million percent, it's not going to happen," Azarenka said. "It's a lot of hard work. Those details, that confidence that you get from the tennis match makes you believe."
Azarenka also worked on her fitness in the offseason, which she said gives her the confidence to know she can play "as long as I need."
She may take added confidence from two previous wins over Sharapova in hardcourt finals in Stanford and Miami. They share a 3-3 record overall.
"She's a really, really good player, and I haven't had great success against her in the last couple of events that we've played against each other," Sharapova said. "I'd really like to change that. It will be important to tactically play right. She makes you hit a lot of balls and she's aggressive as well."
The meeting of Azarenka and Sharapova in the final means there will no longer be a No. 1 without a Grand Slam title to her name - as was the case with Caroline Wozniacki, who lost the top ranking with her quarterfinal loss to Clijsters.
For Azarenka, the ranking is still a target. She said after her fourth-round win she would be "lying" if she said it wasn't on her mind.
Sharapova, the weary veteran of three previous spells at No. 1, isn't that concerned and only wants to add to her trophy collection.
"Having been in the position before, doesn't really (add anything to the final) to me," Sharapova said. "I think personally, for me, it's more about the Grand Slam win than the No. 1 ranking.
"That's just always been the goal for me."
AP