Maria Sharapova (left) and Victoria Azarenka face off for the seventh carrer time in the Australian Open final. (Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — And just like that, the WTA has a new No. 1. Victoria Azarenka steamrolled Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in the Australian Open final to win her first career Grand Slam title.

“Today, Victoria played better on so many levels,” Sharapova said at the awards ceremony after the match. Indeed, after falling behind 0-2, Azarenka rolled to win 12 of the next 13 games on the way to the title. In a stark contrast to the top-heavy ATP, Azarenka’s win means all four Grand Slam titles are now held by first-time major winners.

Check out our game-by-game analysis below.

Second Set

5:07 a.m. ET | Azarenka wins set 6-0, wins match 6-3, 6-0.

Azarenka gets a little nervy serving out and Sharapova steps it up a bit, but it was too little too late. On her first match point, Sharapova hits an unforced error and Azarenka drops to her knees. She keeps looking to her box as if saying “What just happened?”

A rather cold handshake at the net between the two ladies, no hugs, no kisses, and it almost looked like they were going to arm wrestle. Sharapova has to be devastated.

Welcome to the Grand Slam club and the No. 1 ranking, Victora Azarenka. Amazing composure throughout the fortnight and she put her foot on Sharapova’s throat tonight and never let go. She was the better player and is a well-deserving champion.

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Victoria Azarenka (left) has defeated Maria Sharapova in their two matchups in finals, including one in Key Biscayne, Fla., last April. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — The caterwauling about the caterwauling will be left to others. Yes, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka make a lot of noise when they play tennis. And yes, it’s recommended that you watch the Australian Open women’s final with the volume down and the windows closed.

But enough about the grunting. Let’s get to the tennis, because there is plenty at stake.

The WTA’s No. 1 ranking is on the line in a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2009 Australian Open, when Serena Williams routed Dinara Safina to reclaim the top spot. If the fourth-seeded Sharapova wins Saturday’s match (3:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2), she would become No. 1 for the first time since June 2008. If the third-seeded Azarenka wins, she would improve to 12-0 this year and become No. 1 for the first time, replacing good friend Caroline Wozniacki.

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Novak Djokovic celebrates after outlasting Andy Murray in the semifinals. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — It took just under five hours, but Novak Djokovic finally beat Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 on Friday to reach the Australian Open final. Djokovic will take on Rafael Nadal, who knocked off Roger Federer in four sets in the first semifinal match on Thursday.

It was a topsy-turvy spectacle that saw both men seize momentum, with long, physical rallies taking their toll over the course of the match. Murray was able to climb back from 5-2 down in the fifth set, breaking Djokovic while he was serving for the match. But the Serb rebounded, as he has done consistently for more than a year now, saving a crucial break point with a forehand down-the-line winner that was reminiscent, in guts if nothing else, of his incredible forehand return against Roger Federer to save match point at last year’s U.S. Open. After surviving Murray’s late surge, Djokovic broke the Scot for the match to move a step closer to defending his title.

“As a tennis player, you practice hard every single day knowing that you will get an opportunity to be part of such a great match and on such a high level,” Djokovic said.

“I’m proud of the way I fought,” said Murray, who was dominated by Djokovic in last year’s final here.

Murray described it as an “up-and-down match” in which Djokovic played “just a little bit better.”

Said Murray: “Sometimes you come off the court and you’ve played really badly, you haven’t quite been there mentally, and then you’re really disappointed with yourself because you’ve let yourself down. I don’t feel like I’ve let myself down today. “

Here’s game-by-game analysis of a wild Australian Open semifinal match.

Fifth Set

8:39 a.m. ET | Djokovic wins set 7-5, wins match 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5

At 15-15, Murray sends a backhand slice long and chides himself to “hit it.” A little too late for that, as an error off Murray’s racket gives Djokovic two match points at 15-40.

He runs Murray back and forth and finally closes out the match with a volley winner, falls to his back in celebration. Just like his final opponent last night, Djokovic celebrates as if he’s won the tournament, applauding Murray as he quickly exits the court.

Once again, Novak Djokovic comes back from the brink and the difference was his fitness and his confidence. He never lost belief even when getting broken while serving for the match, and when he was up against the wall, he had the confidence to go for that forehand winner to save break point. Ridiculous stuff from the world No. 1, who sends his good friend packing after four hours and fifty minutes of brutal tennis.

Ice baths on the house, gentlemen. What a show.

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Novak Djokovic (left) beat Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in last year's Australian Open final. (Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — After defeating Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open on Thursday, Rafael Nadal was asked whether he’d rather face Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray in the final.

“I prefer the player who is going to play worse that day,” Nadal deadpanned.

An artful dodge by the 10-time Grand Slam champion, but it’s a relevant question. Nadal spent 2011 being tormented by Djokovic, going 0-6 against the Serb with two losses in major finals and four losses in Masters finals. Meanwhile, Nadal ended Murray’s quest for his first Grand Slam tournament title three consecutive times, knocking off the Scot in the semifinals of the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Nadal, without tipping his hand, did turn serious in addressing Friday’s Djokovic-Murray match (3:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2), saying: “The level of tennis of both players is fantastic. … I’m going to watch the match, because it’s going to be a fantastic show.”

Can Murray make it so? The good news for Murray is that, given Djokovic’s outstanding 2011 season — which included a thrashing of Murray in the Australian Open final and two other major titles — and the world No. 1′s dominant form here this year, Murray isn’t being given much of a chance. (Murray did beat Djokovic in Cincinnati last year when Djokovic retired trailing 6-4, 3-0; the 24-year-old Serb has won six of 10 meetings overall.)

Why is being a big underdog good news? It means that Murray, 24, should feel like he has nothing to lose, enabling him to play with the freedom he needs to challenge Djokovic. This match will be the first true test for Murray’s new coach, Ivan Lendl. Can he get his man in the right frame of mind to compete at his best?

“I’ve always liked playing against him,” Murray said of Djokovic, who was 70-6 with 10 titles last year. “And yeah, after the year that he had, the loss [in the 2011 Australian Open final] didn’t look so bad six months later.”

Speaking before Djokovic advanced to the semifinals, the fourth-seeded Murray added: “I’d like to get the chance to play him again.  It would be a good marker to see how I’ve improved since last year.”

Murray’s serve will be key. Djokovic, who has a tournament-high 37 service breaks in five matches, won’t have trouble getting traction as the returner if Murray serves as poorly as he did in the quarterfinals against Kei Nishikori. In that match, Murray served at only 44 percent but managed to save eight of 10 break points. Murray needs to hold easily in order to take pressure off himself and get in position to take more risks on Djokovic’s service games.

Djokovic says he’s fine despite tweaking his hamstring and having breathing issues in his quarterfinal victory against David Ferrer. Taking him at his word, I’m picking Djokovic to win in straight sets and secure his 400th Tour victory.

What better way to start the year than with a major final to see if Nadal has solved the Djokovic riddle?

Check back here later for live analysis of Djokovic vs. Murray.

WERTHEIM: Nadal flips the script on Federer | Sharapova, Azarenka set for high-stakes final
PHOTOS: Australian Open 2012 | Best fans | Fashion hits | Fashion misses | Offbeat pictures

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal meet for the 27th time in the Australian Open semifinals. (Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia — The domination continues.

Rafael Nadal came back from a set down to notch his fifth straight win over Roger Federer at a Slam, beating his rival 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

In a scratchy match that rarely saw the two men simultaneously play at their best, Nadal proved again that on the biggest of stages he is consistently able to drag Federer down from the rarefied air where he typically operates. It’s tennis’ equivalent to a backyard brawl. With the pressure on, Federer swung and missed, hitting 63 unforced errors, 36 on his forehand side, and, excluding from the first set, Federer was unable to summon his magic on the big points.

Nadal, who will be trying for his second Australian Open title and 11th major title overall, is now through to his fourth straight Slam final and will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal match between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Our game-by-game analysis from Melbourne is below.

Fourth Set

7:27 a.m. ET | Nadal wins set 6-4, wins match 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4

Nadal gets nervy serving it out and Federer earns two break points to even the match. On the first break point, Nadal hits a forehand that bounces over off the top of the net cord, Federer hits a forehand, Nadal sends a squash-shot lob that lands on the baseline, and Federer sends the ball wide. That’s bad luck for Federer and after Rafa dodges that bullet, he converts his second match point of the game when Federer sends a forehand long.

Game, set, match, Rafael Nadal. He reaches his fourth straight Slam final and becomes only the fifth man to reach all four Grand Slam finals at least twice. He drops to his knees after the handshake as though he had just won the tournament. A crushing defeat for Roger, who started the match so well but got bullied once Rafa got settled into the match.

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Novak Djokovic beat David Ferrer 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-1 to advance to the Australian Open semifinals. (SIPA)

MELBOURNE, Australia — The last of the quarterfinals played out on Day 10 of the Australian Open, and the favorites advanced with relative ease. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray set up their semifinal matchup, and on the women’s side, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova rolled toward a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final. Here’s a rundown of what happened Wednesday.

• Connect Four: For the second straight Grand Slam tournament and third of the last four, the Fantastic Four make up the semifinals. And as David Ferrer noted, that dominance from Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

In his quarterfinal loss to Djokovic, Ferrer proved again why he’s respected in the locker room as the world No. 5, but never considered a real contender for major titles when the top four are in the mix. He pushed Djokovic for two sets, engaging in 20-plus-stroke rallies that left spectators gasping with neck pains. When Djokovic pulled up with what looked like a tweak of his left hamstring, Ferrer saw an opportunity and started working the No. 1 from line to line. But Djokovic withstood the challenge, and once the match went into a second-set tiebreaker, history repeated itself. Ferrer built a 4-2 lead before dropping his 13th consecutive tiebreaker at the Australian Open. Djokovic cruised from there, showing no ill effects of the hamstring injury and winning 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-1.

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Petra Kvitova beat Maria Sharapova in the 2011 Wimbledon final, their first meeting in a Slam. (Icon SMI)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams’ absence aside, you couldn’t have asked for better matchups in the women’s semifinals of the Australian Open.

Two veteran former No. 1s, who hold seven Grand Slam trophies between them, join two youngsters who are widely regarded as the most promising members of their generation. And with Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova vying for the top billing, the talk about a Slam-less No. 1 finally will end. Kvitova can clinch No. 1 on Thursday if she defeats Sharapova and Kim Clijsters knocks off Azarenka, while Sharapova and Azarenka need to win the tournament to take the top spot.

Here’s a look at the two evenly matched semifinals. The first match listed will begin no sooner than 9:30 p.m. ET at Rod Laver Arena, followed by the second match. Both will air live on ESPN2.

Victoria Azarenka vs. Kim Clijsters: Clijsters used the word “tough” repeatedly in describing this match against Azarenka, who indeed has tended to play the Belgian that way. Clijsters leads the head-to-head 4-2, with all four victories on hardcourts, but Azarenka notched her first hard-court win in the series in their most recent meeting, a 6-3, 6-3 triumph in Miami last year.

“She’s playing extremely well, playing with a lot of confidence, and she’s going to be a completely different match than what I was up against [Tuesday],” Clijsters said after her quarterfinal win over soon-to-be former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. “[Azarenka] takes a lot more initiative, hits a lot down the middle of the court, deep, hard. So it’s going to be very important to be dominant.”

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Rafael Nadal (left) and Roger Federer have met once in Melbourne, a Rafa win in the '09 final. (EPA)

The potential semifinal match that so many were anticipating the moment the draw came out is now a reality: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will meet Thursday for a spot in the Australian Open final.

Both enter the showdown in good form. Nadal has dropped only one set in Melbourne, against Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. Federer, meanwhile, has not lost a set, looking much like the player who won his final 17 matches last year after his devastating defeat to Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Photo Gallery: Federer vs. Nadal history

Included in Federer’s perfect finish to 2011 was a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Nadal at the ATP World Tour Finals, where the Swiss improved to 4-0 against the Spaniard on indoor hardcourts. But Nadal still leads the head-to-head series 17-9, including a win in the 2009 Australian Open final, after which he memorably consoled a sobbing Federer, who at the time was one Grand Slam title shy of matching Pete Sampras’ record.

Will we get another classic like that one in their second career clash at the Australian Open? Who is your pick to win? Cast your vote in the poll and explain your prediction in the comments section.

Rafael Nadal dropped his first set of the tournament in a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych. (US Presswire)

MELBOURNE, Australia — On Day 9 of the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal was tested, the officiating came into question again and the race for the new WTA No. 1 heated up in earnest. Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s action.

What happened

• Full flight: It took Nadal 4 hours and 16 minutes to beat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3, reach his 18th major semifinal and set up a blockbuster showdown with Roger Federer, who advanced earlier in the day with a vintage performance against Juan Martin del Potro.

Berdych had a quality showing through most of the match, pounding his forehand with power and precision and rocking Nadal way back behind the baseline early. The Czech — who was greeted by a smattering of boos when he took the court after refusing to shake Nicolas Almagro’s hand in his last match — looked unfazed by the crowd and the task of facing the 10-time Grand Slam champ. Berdych won the first set in a tiebreaker and fought back from 2-5 in the second set to get to another tiebreaker. But Berdych misfired mightily from both wings in the tiebreaker, giving Nadal newfound life with a forehand error at set point.

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