Maria vs. Amazing Serena

Top seed Maria Sharapova (photos) was expected to make the women's singles final at the Australian Open this year, but few expected her to be facing Serena Williams, who, having barely played in 2006, had fallen to #81 in the world rankings. Not in her best shape and with groundstokes well below their usual reliability, Serena has survived mostly on the strength of her powerful serve (how to hit the same type) and enormous mental toughness.