Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from the first of the women's semi-finals at the 2015 Australian Open. It's Maria Sharapova v Ekaterina Makarova in an all-Russian semi-final.

So it is second seed Maria Sharapova into her fourth Australian Open final. She was runner up in 2007 and 2012 and won the title in 2008. She will play for another title on Saturday but will it be against world number one Serena Williams or unseeded rising star Madison Keys? That's the second semi-final, up next.

Sharapova 6-3 6-2 Makarova. Game, set and match. Sharapova's fastest serve of the match, 178kph, down the centre of the court, followed by a second in almost exactly the same spot just down the opposite side brings up two match points for the second seed. It's a ruthlessly efficient final service game from Sharapova as she thumps down another great serve, Makarova going long her return, to seal the match.

Sharapova 6-3 5-2 Makarova. Sharapova levels at 30-all with an inside out forehand winner across court off a very slow second serve just begging to be hit but a backhand wide across court followed by a netted forehand from the second seed and Makarova has the hold that at least forces Sharapova to serve for a place in the final.

Sharapova 6-3 5-1 Makarova. A sixth double from Sharapova is quickly followed by a seventh to gift Makarova two break points to get one of the games back. The 10th seed misses her inside out forehand, just wide of the line, to squander the first while Sharapova saves the second with an ace down the centre of the court. A stunning pick up on the running back from Sharapova, flicked over the net, is returned wide down the line by Makarova. The 10th seed challenges it but it's clearly wide and Sharapova has the hold that leaves Makarova serving to keep this match alive.

Sharapova 6-3 4-1 Makarova. Sharapova denies Makarova a love service game with a series of brutal forehands first down one line then the winner down the other. The world number two then pegs Makarova back by a second point with another ferocious forehand across court. But Makarova does get her second set off the mark with a big serve that Sharapova cannot return in play.

Sharapova 6-3 4-0 Makarova. Sharapova comes through a tougher service game but still holds to cement the double break. The second seed hands Makarova a 15-30 advantage early on with her fifth double, but the 10th seed can't take the chance, going long with a forehand return, and Sharapova goes on to hold just two points later with an ace.

Sharapova 6-3 3-0 Makarova. Break. Another gift from Makarova, a forehand long down the centre of the court, hands Sharapova a point for the double break. Once again though, it only takes the one as the world number two works her way up the court before driving an inside out forehand across court, off the shorter ball, for a ferocious winner.

Sharapova 6-3 2-0 Makarova. A fourth double fault temporarily halts Sharapova's move to consolidate her early break in this second set but it's only a temporary respite for the younger of the two Russians as Sharapova holds comfortably to 30. An important service game coming up for Makarova next as she looks to halt Sharapova's progress.

Sharapova 6-3 1-0 Makarova. Break. Makarova has been showing flashes of what she's capable of since mid-way through that opening set but she just can't string the points together consistently today as she nets an admittedly low forehand to gift Sharapova another break point. The backhand down the line, usually one of Makarova's favoured shots, is not firing either for the 10th seed and she nets just that shot to concede her opening service game of the second set.

Sharapova 6-3 Makarova. Set. A big second serve, that Makarova can only return into the net, hands Sharapova three quick set points. But the world number two only needs the one, producing her best serve of the match so far as she goes across court for an unreturnable. Sharapova has one foot in her fourth Australian Open final. Can Makarova recover in the second set?

Sharapova 5-3 Makarova. Break. Sharapova had a few words for herself during the change of ends and has come back out to immediately regain her break advantage. A forehand winner down the line quickly followed by an inside-out forehand winner across court brings up two break points. But she only needs the one and she will serve for the opening set with 45 minutes on the clock.

Sharapova 4-3 Makarova. Break. A third double fault from Sharapova, quickly following a backhand winner across court from Makarova, hands the 10th seed two break back points. Sharapova saves the first with a low forehand across court that Makarova can only return into the net. But Makarova does get things back on track on the seocnd with a much more confident baseline exchange, ending in a netted forehand from Sharapova. We're back on serve in this opening set, albeit with Makarova still trailing by a game.

Sharapova 4-2 Makarova. Sharapova is still struggling a bit with the leftie serve of Makarova as she slices a tame forehand into the net to allow the 10th seed a game point. But Makarova still hasn't really found her range, slapping a forehand long once more to gift Sharapova another break point. Makarova saves it with a smash winner, though, before going on to hold with much better length; Sharapova pulling a cross court forehand wide across court to end interest in the game.

Sharapova 4-1 Makarova. Having lost six points in her first service game, Sharapova has now won 10 of the last 11 points behind her as she brings up two game points with an curvy ace down the centre of the court, before wrapping up another game with a forehand winner down the line.

Sharapova 3-1 Makarova. Makarova is starting to look a little overwhelmed by the situation now as she nets a low forehand, along the floor, to hand Sharapova another two break points. She saves the first with a serve out wide that Sharapova can only return long and the second ace. The world number two gets a third chance but Makarova saves this one with a powerful cross court forehand that Sharapova can only return long. The 10th seed gets off the mark, albeit belatedly, when Sharapova nets a forehand return. That was an important hold for Makarova.

Sharapova 3-0 Makarova. Sharapova starting to time the ball beautifully now as she posts a love service hold to consolidate the break. The world number two, serving into the wind this time, races through the game with a couple of forehand winners before sealing it when Makarova goes long with a forehand of her own.

Sharaova 2-0 Makarova. Break. The ambidextruous Sharapova plays one of the best left-handed forehands she's produced in the opening point of the game. Normally it's just a block back but this is a full-swing forehand, although it ends with a Makarova forehand winner down the line. Makarova goes very long, over a metre long, with a backhand down the line to allow Sharapova to level at deuce. A forehand down the line earns her another game point but Sharapova thumps an easy forehand drive volley across court for a winner to deny the 10th seed. An inside-out forehand just marginally wide across court from Sharapova squanders her first break point but she quickly gets a second chance and this time she picks the leftie serve perfectly and thumps her forehand brutally down the line to secure the early advantage.

Sharapova 1-0 Makarova. A positive start from Makarova, albeit helped by a double fault and an inside out forehand wide from Sharapova, as she earns herself two break points. The world number two saves the first with a series of cross court forehands before finding a change-of-direction forehand winner down the line and then also the second with a decent second serve that Makarova can only return well wide down the line. The younger of the two Russians, (Makarova is 26, Sharapova 27) is hitting the more freely of the two players and denies Sharapova on her first game point with a booming forehand down the line while a second double squanders a second for the world number two. It is a windy day which is not going to help Sharapova on serve, with her high ball toss. A third also goes begging with a forehand just long but eventually she does get off the mark, after nearly 10 minutes, when Makarova goes long with a forehand.

Makarova won the spin of the coin and it will be Sharapova to begin after the 11th seed opted to put her opponent in to serve first.

Sharapova is playing her sixth Australian Open semi-final, she's won three lost three at this stage, whereas Makarova is playing just her second Grand Slam semi-final, albeit her second sucessive Grand Slam semi-final.