An emotional Victoria Azarenka is determined to remain focused in her bid to claim a first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
Azarenka won through to her first major final with a gutsy 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory over defending champion Kim Clijsters on Thursday and will now face Russian Maria Sharapova in the decider on Saturday.
The 22-year-old was ecstatic after her victory, but said she must calm her nerves to stand any chance against Sharapova.
"I really have to be focused on myself," she said.
"Whoever's on the other side is going to make trouble, no matter who that is and they're going to try to win."
"For me it's important to stay positive, stay on the same track and focused."
Nerves always play a big part in the women's game when players are attempting to close out a match, but Azarenka showed her class by finishing off Clijsters with relative ease, despite a few worrying moments when serving for a 5-2 advantage in the deciding set.
Azarenka did allow Clijsters to break back to make it 4-3, but the Belarusian overcame a brief bout of the nerves to close out the match in two hours and 12 minutes.
"I think every single person has experienced that," Azarenka said in relation to how her nerves were in the final set.
"But it's just a matter how you deal with it."
"I don't think you have to deny it because it happens to everybody."
"You just have to try to control it."
While Azarenka believes she has her nerves under control, she is also confident she can now beat any other player in women's tennis.
"I think there is a difference between saying it and feeling it," Azarenka said when asked about her belief.
"You really have to trust and you really have to feel it."
"Even if you believe one million percent, it's not going to happen. It's a lot of hard work."
"That confidence that you do get off a tennis match makes you believe and be more confident."
And Azarenka won't be too concerned if she is forced into another drawn-out three-set encounter against Sharapova in the decider.
"I can play for as long as I need," she said with a smile.