Australian Open 2012 Results: Maria Sharapova Won't Repeat Wimbledon Failure

After outlasting Petra Kvitova in a tough three-set affair in the semifinals, Maria Sharapova is in search of her second Australian Open Final. After a disappointment at Wimbledon last year, though, the Russian will be determined not to repeat her mistakes.

Sharapova conquered some demons in her 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win over Kvitova as the young, Czech lefty held a winning record over Sharapova and shocked her in the Wimbledon final in 2011. Now, Sharapova will be faced with a similar situation as she was at Wimbledon when she takes on first-time finalist Victoria Azarenka in the final.

While Kvitova played spectacular tennis to beat Sharapova at Wimbledon, I think Sharapova was taking the win for granted essentially. She learned the hard way that experience doesn't mean anything unless she is able to play at her very best.

Azarenka has never been in such a high-pressure environment, but she has the power to match up with Sharapova, she has a 3-3 record against her, and she holds a better world ranking currently at No. 3 to Maria's No. 4.

There is no question that Sharapova desperately wants to win her fourth Grand Slam title, especially after battling back from what could have been a catastrophic shoulder injury. On top of that, the winner of the Aussie Open will also earn the No. 1 ranking, which would be symbolic of Sharapova's long climb back to the top.

The battle-tested Sharapova certainly has the advantage when it comes to playing on the big stage, but Kvitova proved last year that it might not matter. If Sharapova rests on her laurels then we're likely to see a repeat, but if she continues to play her game, then I can't see Azarenka beating her.

One thing that was very telling about Azarenka was the way she acted after beating Kim Clijsters to reach the finals. She threw away her racket, dropped to her knees and burst into tears. That is a celebration that is normally reserved for winning a championship, but in a way I feel like Azarenka has already exerted everything possible into simply reaching the finals.

I'm sure Sharapova is well aware of that and I expect her to take advantage. Azarenka is a very emotional player who you might even call a head case. That's why it was so surprising that she regrouped to defeat Clijsters after being blown away in the second set.

With that said, though, if Sharapova can frustrate her in the early going of the biggest match of her career, then I could see Azarenka imploding. Sharapova is much more stable from a mental standpoint as she has already been there and done that, so she can come back from a deficit if need be.

The key is ultimately going to be whether Sharapova can replicate her game from her previous wins in this tournament. She has been serving well, hitting powerful ground strokes and moving with good fluidity, so all of those things will be key.

Sharapova may be playing some of the best tennis of her career and after losing to a first-time finalist at Wimbledon last year, I'd be shocked if she let it happen again at the Aussie Open.