2012 Australian Open Weekend Preview: Sharapova Seeks Fourth Slam and Bryan Brothers Go for Record 12th
January 27, 2012 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Russia’s Maria Sharapova will take on Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the women’s singles final of the 2012 Australian Open at 3:00 a.m. ET Saturday morning. Azarenka, who won the Sydney International title the weekend before the season’s first major, will attempt to continue her winning ways. Sharapova has won three majors in her career thus far, but none since the 2008 Australian Open. Azarenka will be playing in her first Grand Slam final.
The winner of the Australian Open finals will move to the top of the women’s rankings. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki came into the tournament as the top-ranked female in the world, but will now drop three places after her quarterfinals loss to 2011 Aussie champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium earlier in the week.
Today, the men’s doubles final will be played, where the storyline sees the American team of Bob & Mike Bryan aiming for a 12th Grand Slam record when they take on Leander Paes of Indian & Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
Another American, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, along with her Romanian partner, Horia Tecau, advanced to tomorrow’s mixed-doubles final with a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Indian pair of Sania Mirza & Mahesh Bhupathi. Mattek-Sands & Tecau will play Elena Vesnina of Russia & India’s Leander Paes for the 2012 Australian Open Mixed-Doubles Championship.
