WELCOME TO THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL: Former champion Russia's Maria Sharapova is taking on Belarus's Victoria Azarenka in the singles final, with the world number one ranking also at stake.

Sharapova, 24, is playing her sixth grand slam final and bidding for her fourth major title after wins at Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006) and the Australian Open (2008).

Sharapova burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old when she won Wimbledon. But in August 2008 she needed major shoulder surgery which kept her out of the sport for almost a year. It took the glamorous Russian just over two years to get back into serious contention at a grand slam, reaching the final four at last year's French Open and then the Wimbledon final, where she fell to Czech Petra Kvitova.

Azarenka, 22, who emerged three years ago when she won her first WTA tournament in Brisbane, is playing in a major final for the first time. She has now claimed nine titles on the women's tour but her previous best at a grand slam was reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year. The Belarusian has a reputation for breaking down emotionally during tight matches but said those problems are now in the past.