Victoria Azarenka's shrieks continued into the third set.
She survived a break point to get her first lead since the first set then powered through the second game and broke Kim Clijster's serve on four-straight points. Fist pumps and shrieks continued to fuel Azarenka's game, but Clijsters broke back, thanks in part to an Azarenka double fault.
Down on her own serve with the games tied at 2-2, Clijsters stood on the other side of the net from Azarenka as she thrust another fist pump toward the tournament's defending champion.
Until Clijsters snuck in and dropped a backhand slice volley in an extreme cross court - and stared across the court. But then she double faulted the game away to give Azarenka the break. Their nerves seemed to flip flop with their service games.
Then unforced errors crept in for Clijsters. After five games, Azarenka led 4-1. The match momentum was in Azarenka's favor, but what about the nerves? What about Clijsters' experience?
Well, they dueled. Through four deuces and a 10-minute game Clijsters broke Azarenka to bring the defending champion back into the third set, 4-3.
As the commentators said, Azarenka wanted to get through to her first Grand Slam, but Clijsters wanted to keep her title.
With much of the crowd against her, Azarenka finished off the set with two match points. Clijsters hit a backhand wide to end the match in two hours and 12 minutes to end their semifinal match with a final score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the 22-year-old Belarusian's favor.
Victoria Azarenka and Fashion Trends 2012
She has very best tennis career and has won many titles that include the double Grand Slam Title which was held at US Open in the year 2007 with her team mate Max Mirnyi. She also won the French Open which was held in the year 2008 with her team mate named Bob Bryan. She is actually included in the list of top female tennis player who has won seven times single titles that include Sony Ericsson Open Tournament which was held in the year 2009 and 2011. She has also made one Grand Slam Appearance in the Semi Final at Wimbledon Championship in the year 2011.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts after winning a point against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill) 
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska reacts to a lost point against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) 
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus serves to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan) 
Kim Clijsters of Belgium reacts after winning a point against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)
She survived a break point to get her first lead since the first set then powered through the second game and broke Kim Clijster's serve on four-straight points. Fist pumps and shrieks continued to fuel Azarenka's game, but Clijsters broke back, thanks in part to an Azarenka double fault.
Down on her own serve with the games tied at 2-2, Clijsters stood on the other side of the net from Azarenka as she thrust another fist pump toward the tournament's defending champion.
Until Clijsters snuck in and dropped a backhand slice volley in an extreme cross court - and stared across the court. But then she double faulted the game away to give Azarenka the break. Their nerves seemed to flip flop with their service games.
Then unforced errors crept in for Clijsters. After five games, Azarenka led 4-1. The match momentum was in Azarenka's favor, but what about the nerves? What about Clijsters' experience?
Well, they dueled. Through four deuces and a 10-minute game Clijsters broke Azarenka to bring the defending champion back into the third set, 4-3.
As the commentators said, Azarenka wanted to get through to her first Grand Slam, but Clijsters wanted to keep her title.
With much of the crowd against her, Azarenka finished off the set with two match points. Clijsters hit a backhand wide to end the match in two hours and 12 minutes to end their semifinal match with a final score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the 22-year-old Belarusian's favor.
Victoria Azarenka and Fashion Trends 2012
Victoria Azarenka`s Fashion Trends
By Fashion Trends 2012Posted on 07 Sep 2011 at 6:17am
Another name and best female tennis player Victoria Azarenka was born in the year 1989 on 31st July. She is actually the professional player of Belarusian Russia and started her career when she was so young. She is having best tennis career and her ranking in the female tennis players of the world is Number 4. She achieved the world ranking No 4 in year 2011 on 9th May. The name Victoria Azarenka is the best player who has the highest rank of Belarusian player ever and surpasses tennis player Natasha Zvereva by 1 spot.- Victoria Azarenka
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Nadal, Federer to meet in Australian Open semis
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Updated: 5:57 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012
Posted: 10:49 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, 2012
MELBOURNE, Australia — The intensity was vintage Rafael Nadal.
On the stroke of midnight, he thrust his arms up and punched the air, sealing the victory that sets up the most anticipated semifinal at the Australian Open in quite some time.
Roger Federer did his part to put this in place. In the previous match on Rod Laver Arena, he beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal marking his 1,000th tour-level match.
A Federer-Nadal semifinal had been looming since the draw for the season's first major — the first time the pair have been in the same half at a Grand Slam tournament since 2005.
Playing with a new racket and a heavily taped right knee, Nadal was at his demonstrative best, rallying after losing the first set to beat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3.
Yelling "Vamos," disputing line calls, pumping his arms after winning big points and bounding around like a hyperactive kid, Nadal ripped winner after winner against Berdych in a 4-hour, 16-minute display of pure intimidation.
He said he was nervous in the first set — he'd lost in the quarterfinals two straight years — but by the third and fourth sets things had indeed changed.
"The character on court, the way to win the points ... the level is very positive, much, much better than the end of the season," he said. "Semifinals is fantastic result for me."
Federer finished his match with one of his classic, one-handed backhands against Del Potro, one of only two men who have beaten him in a major final. The other is Nadal, who has done it six times.
That lopsided record aside, there's a touch of extra tension this time in this usually cordial rivalry. Nadal had told Spanish reporters during a discussion about player discontent that Federer liked to protect his reputation as a gentleman by saying nothing negative in public and letting others "burn."
Both have since played down the comments. On Tuesday, Federer said it didn't damage their relationship.
"No. No. Honestly, no," he said. "It was here for one day and then gone again. I'm happy about that because it didn't deserve more attention than it did. So for me, it's another great match with Rafa. ... Obviously I'd like to play Rafa because of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few years ago."
Thursday's match will be the first time they have met at Melbourne Park since Nadal won the 2009 title in five seesawing sets. Nadal collected the trophy from the great Rod Laver after consoling Federer as he sobbed in the background.
"We are talking about a player who has won 16 Grand Slams, and I've won 10," Nadal said. "We have played a lot of matches together, many in very important moments for our careers. So the matches against him are always special, even if we are (ranked) 20 against 25."
One of the women's semifinals is already set up, with defending champion Kim Clijsters showing too much experience in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Caroline Wozniacki, who remains without a major title and will now lose her No. 1 ranking.
Clijsters has a left ankle sprain that requires almost constant treatment, but expects to be fit for the next match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, one of the three women who can finish the tournament with the top ranking.
The two others — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova — are in action Wednesday. Kvitova opens play at Rod Laver Arena against Sara Errani of Italy, followed by Sharapova against Ekaterina Makarova in an all-Russian match. No. 56-ranked Makarova is coming off a straight-set win over five-time Australian champion Serena Williams.
Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic has an evening match against No. 5 David Ferrer, who beat Nadal in the quarterfinals last year. Djokovic overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking last year by winning three of the four majors, starting with an Australian Open final win over Andy Murray. Murray takes on No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan on Wednesday.
Given the dominance last season of the top four, a Djokovic vs. Murray semifinal seems most likely. In 2009, the competition was considered more of a two-man race.
Federer was aiming to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles and was confident despite entering the Australian Open with the No. 2 ranking.
Nadal had fended off Fernando Verdasco in 5-hour, 14-minute late night semifinal — the longest match at the Australian Open — and said he could barely walk, let alone practice the following day. He'd also had a day less to prepare for the final than Federer did. Still, he became the first Spaniard to win the Australian title.
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