(CNN) -- In terms of age, just two years separate Australian Open finalists Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. But in terms of what the two young women have achieved in their tennis careers so far, they are poles apart.
Since bursting onto the scene as a 17-year-old Wimbledon champion in 2004, Sharapova's model looks and three grand slam triumphs, combined with her rise and fall from the top of the world rankings, have kept her in the public eye.
In contrast, the 22-year-old Azarenka is enjoying her finest run at one of tennis' four major tournaments. Thursday's 6-4 1-6 6-3 semifinal win over defending champion Kim Clijsters has put her within touching distance of a first grand slam title.
To add extra spice to Saturday's Melbourne showdown, both world No. 4 Sharapova and the third-ranked Azarenka can claim top spot with victory in the Rod Laver Arena showdown
World No. 4 Maria Sharapova has long been known for her on-court shrieks and the Russian has recently attracted criticism as a result. The three-time grand slam champion claimed she will continue to make the noises until they are outlawed.
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"It means so much to be back in a grand slam final," Sharapova told reporters after beating No. 2 Petra Kvitova. "It's nice to get this far here at the Australian Open again after losing quite early the last couple of years."
The 2008 champion secured her place in the title match with a 6-2 3-6 6-4 win over Kvitova, the 21-year-old Czech rising star who defeated Sharapova in the Wimbledon final last July and also had hopes of replacing Caroline Wozniacki at the rankings summit.
For Sharapova, the U.S. Open champion in 2006, becoming world No. 1 again would crown a renaissance which has seen her overcome a recurring shoulder injury which first struck five years ago.
It forced her to miss nearly 10 months of action between May 2008 and March 2009. But despite her struggle, Sharapova insisted that winning a second Australian Open is her sole motivation.
"I don't regret anything that has happened -- obviously it would have been nice not to have a serious injury at 21 years old, but sometimes it's just the way things go. The good thing is I found a way to come back.
"It's more about the grand slam win than the ranking. Having been in that position before, it doesn't really add anything for me."
While Sharapova is working her way back to the pinnacle of the sport, Azarenka is riding as high as she's ever been in the world rankings.
Her best run at a grand slam prior to this tournament was a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon last year, where she was beaten by Kvitova.
"I really wanted it bad," Azarenka said. "There were a lot of ups and downs, but in a good way."
Azarenka dug deep after being pummeled by former world No. 1 and four-time grand slam winner Clijsters in the second set, earning a crucial break in the eighth game of the decider to propel her to success.
"She was coming up with some incredible shots and I was really going for it. It was important to get that 5-3 lead and keep putting pressure on," Azarenka said.
"It was difficult to get back in the match, to keep fighting and to keep going, but that's what it's all about. And I was really, really happy to win the match."
The victory continued Azarenka's impressive early-season form -- she has now won all 11 matches in 2012.
"There's a difference between saying it and feeling it," she said of the effect her form is having on her confidence. "You really have to trust. You really have to feel it.
"You can't just say you believe you're going to do it, you have to work your way through it and always try to make that extra during practice, because it's not coming in one day."
While Azarenka has no experience of a grand slam final, Sharapova will be playing in her sixth. She has won three and lost two -- including a defeat to American Serena Williams in the 2007 Australian Open.
It is impossible to split the pair in the head-to-read statistics, with both players having won three of their six encounters.
Sharapova won their most recent match in Rome in May, on her way to overall victory at the clay-court event, when Azarenka was forced to retire in the second set. However, the Belorussian had the honors when they met in the final of the Miami Masters in April.
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Third seed Victoria Azarenka was the subject of taunts from fans at the Australian Open who began to mimic her unique screams during a second round win over home-crowd favorite Casey Dellacqua.
American Serena Williams has long been a leading light in women's tennis, in terms of winning tournaments and booming grunts. Whether the grunts benefit a player is the subject of some debate, but they certainly haven't hindered Williams. The 30-year-old has registered 13 grand slam triumphs.
It would appear that grunting runs in the family, with Venus Williams matching her sister Serena in terms of noise and top-level success. Venus, one year older than her sibling, has collected seven major titles.
Monica Seles was screaming her way to success long before any of today's professionals. The Yugoslavia-born American won nine grand slam titles during her 19-year ear-splitting career.
American Jimmy Connors has played more ATP Tour matches than anyone else, winning eight grand slams during a glittering 24-year career. Connors is also widely credited with introducing grunting to top-level tennis.
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