Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will contest the women's final of the Australian Open after coming through tough semi-final encounters.
Sharapova secured a gruelling 6-3 3-6 6-4 win over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in a match lasting two hours.
Azarenka, who will become world number one if she wins in Melbourne, beat defending champion Kim Clijsters 6-4 1-6 6-3 in a thrilling see-saw battle.
The final will start at about 0830 GMT at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
Third seed Azarenka is bidding to win her first Grand Slam, while Sharapova will hope to claim a fourth major title.
The Belarusian was overcome with emotion as she sealed victory, throwing down her racquet, sinking to her knees and covering her face as Clijsters came around the net to congratulate her.
"I felt like my hand is about 200 kilograms and my body is about 1,000 and everything is shaking, but that feeling when you finally win is such a relief. My God, I cannot believe it's over. I just want to cry," Azarenka said as she choked back tears.
"It was just trying to stay in the moment. Kim really took over the second set and I felt there was nothing I could do. I just tried to regroup."
Third-seeded Azarenka, 22, did not have it all her own way during a match which lasted two hours and 12 minutes.
At times she was outplayed by Clijsters, who displayed flashes of the brilliance which have made her such a formidable opponent for so many years.
But the Belgian, who announced before the tournament started that this was to be her Melbourne farewell, was horribly inconsistent and could not come up with the knockout blow when Azarenka was on the ropes.
A perfect example of this came during the third set when Clijsters failed to hold after breaking Azarenka to get back on serve at 3-4.
Azarenka will know that her service game - which deserted her in the second set - must improve in the final if she is to win her maiden Grand Slam title.
Sharapova's serve, however, was not at its best in the second semi-final of the day, with the 2008 Australian Open champion making 10 double faults which proved costly as Kvitova took advantage to take the match to a third-set decider.
The Russian admitted she did not play her best tennis against the second seed, saying: "Sometimes even when you're not playing your best tennis you can find a way to win.
"No matter how good or bad you play you just try to win your point and that's what I tried to do."
Page last updated at 07:58 GMT, Thursday, 26 January 2012
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/16735995.stm
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