Watch Novak Djokovic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Live Online - Australian Open 2008 Final

Ten months ago he was the world No 12, preparing to play against his friend, Andy Murray, the world No 13, in their first Masters Series semi-final. Tomorrow Novak Djokovic will be the favourite as he goes into his second successive Grand Slam final.

If Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Djokovic's opponent, has been the revelation of this year's Australian Open, it is the world No 3 who has been the game's most improved player over the last year. "Everything is going so fast for me," he admitted here last night after his semi-final victory over Roger Federer. "If you'd told me at the start of last year that I would play four consecutive semi-finals in Grand Slams and two finals I would have accepted that right away. I've been working very hard in the past year and a half, so it's paying off right now."

Hard work is one thing, but coping with the pressure of a big occasion is another. Djokovic has proved his mental strength by winning seven titles, including two Masters series events, while Tsonga has never even played in a final. For all the brilliance he has shown in beating Murray, Richard Gasquet, Mikhail Youzhny and Rafael Nadal over the last fortnight, the world No 38 has yet to prove that he can handle the mental challenge of a Grand Slam final.

Djokovic knows what a test such an occasion can be. Four months ago the 20-year-old Serb let slip seven set points in his first Grand Slam final, against Federer at the US Open, an experience that he hopes will stand him in good stead.

"You always learn something from matches against Federer or Nadal or whoever you play," Djokovic said. "From the start tonight I was trying to keep positive thoughts in my head all the time and not have so many ups and downs in my game, which I've had in our past matches. In important moments, especially at the US Open, I wasn't able to stay focused. I think I was more afraid of winning a set or a match and that cost me, even though I think I played really, really well.

"So I learned and I took out of that match a lot of things that I needed to change. I knew that I had to believe in myself. I knew I had to be positive on the court, not nervous, just to stay with him all the time, and be aggressive. I've played some impressive tennis throughout the last two weeks, but I'm especially happy with my performance tonight.

"I was able to deal with the pressure in the best way. I'm very happy that in crucial moments my serve helped me. That was probably the best element of my game in the important moments and it's a positive thing for the future.

Watch Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic Live Online - Australian Open 2008 Final

Last year's finalist routs ailing Jankovic will face Ivanovic for Slam title. A year after losing the Australian Open final in embarrassing fashion to Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova is looking unstoppable in her quest for a third Grand Slam singles title.

But if it doesn’t happen in Saturday’s final at Melbourne Park against Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic, she won’t lose too much sleep over it.

“From the beginning of the tournament, you want to go a step further than you’ve done in the past,” Sharapova said after her 6-3, 6-1 semifinal win over Jelena Jankovic on Thursday.

On Saturday, she’s up against an opponent with one previous final. Ivanovic lost to Henin in last year’s French Open title match and is seeded No. 4, a spot ahead of Sharapova.

The two have plenty in common. Both stand over 6 feet and hit right-handed with two-handed backhands. Both moved from their home countries to train elsewhere — Sharapova from Siberia to Florida and Ivanovic from Belgrade to Switzerland.

Both are 20, born seven months apart in 1987. And they’re all-square at 2-2 in career head-to-head matches — including Ivanovic’s win over Sharapova in the French Open semifinal last year and Sharapova’s victory over the Serbian player in a round-robin match at the WTA Tour championships in November.

In both cases, the losing player in each of those matches won only three games. If one is hot, often the other is not.

Both her next and previous opponents agree Sharapova is hot.

“Maria has had a good tournament ... beating Justine in two sets,” said Ivanovic. “It’s going to be definitely a very, very tough match.”

Jankovic was impressed as well, particularly after Sharapova won the first five games of Thursday’s match.

“Everything she hit, each strike was amazing,” said Jankovic. “Even when she was late or whatever, it was all going in. She didn’t make a mistake. She was just on a roll.”

Watch Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic Live Online - Australian Open 2008

Today marks Federer and Djokovic’s third Grand Slam meeting, 6th straight meeting on hard court. Djokovic has yet to drop a set here, but Federer has not conceded a set to Djokovic in their previous two Slam meetings at the 2007 Australian Open and 2007 US Open. At last year’s Australian Open, Federer became the first man since Bjorn Borg at 1980 Roland Garros to win a major without dropping a set.

Federer had a four-match winning streak against his Serbian opponent until AMS Montreal last August, where Djokovic defeated defending champion Federer in the final. The match lasted two hours 13 minutes, and Djokovic won the first set on a tiebreak after Federer had held six set points serving at 6-5.

In contrast, at their last meeting in the final of the US Open, Djokovic held five set points against Federer in the first set and another two in the second but failed to convert.

This is FEDERER’S 9th Australian Open and he has reached the semifinals for the 5th year running. He has won three of his four previous semifinal appearances here, his one loss coming to Marat Safin in the 2005 semifinals. This was also his last loss at a major to anyone other than Rafael Nadal.

This is Federer’s 15th straight appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal, starting with 2004 Wimbledon, and he has a 14-2 win-loss record in Grand Slam semifinals, losing here in 2005 and to Nadal at 2005 Roland Garros.

Federer’s defeat to Nadal at 2005 Roland Garros was his last loss at the semifinal stage of any tournament. Since then, he has won 34 semifinal matches in a row.

Maria Sharapova Beat Justine Henin - Australian Open 2008

Maria Sharapova (RUS) beat top seeded Belgian Justine Henin 6-4 6-0. It's an amazing game from Sharapova! She is at her best and she had to win. Now that she had kicked Henin out she's gonna be the champion!!

Justine Henin vs Maria Sharapova Best Odds

In what many feel would be a fitting final, the Russian, Maria Sharapova, takes on the top seeded Belgian, Justine Henin, in the Australian Open Quarter-finals. Henin is just starting to find form at the right time and may just have enough nous to overcome the precocious Sharapova. Check out the best odds here.

Watch Australian Open 2008 Quarter Finals Live Online

Justine Henin will put her 32-match winning streak on the line against Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open quarterfinals, their first meeting since the season-ending championship final in Madrid.

The top-ranked Henin had another straight-set win over an unseeded player, routing Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round Sunday when two-set victories dominated after an extra-long Day 6.

The fifth-seeded Sharapova pounded fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-0, breaking the 11th-ranked player in six of her seven service games, including one at love to finish off the match in 62 minutes.

"I have always had really tough games against her," Sharapova said, "and I wanted to make sure I kept my focus all the way through."

That was a good warmup for the next stage.

"Justine's the one to beat," Sharapova said. "She's on a pretty good winning streak, but every match is new.

"The one in Madrid was tough but physically she got me in the end she was tougher than I was in the end. But I had many chances and I was very close to winning."

In an early match Monday, No. 4 Ana Ivanovic joined Sharapova and Henin in the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-6 (2) win over Caroline Wozniacki.