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The issue of grunting, screeching, or otherwise making a rather offensive sound during a rally isn’t a new one – remember the stick Monica Seles used to cop in the 1990s?

But it seems to have reached a new high – or low – this week, with the antics of both Sharapova and Azarenka.  Jim Courier is on record as saying it’s unfair, as players rely on the sound of the ball hitting the racquet to determine how fast the ball’s coming over the net.

Several players mustered the courage to speak up about the distraction, including Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost to Azarenka in a quarter-final on Tuesday.

Ridiculously, Channel Seven had a decibel meter on centre court to measure Sharapova’s shrieks, as if it’s a competition.

Add that to the undercurrent of sexual objectification of women on the WTA Tour – still! - the Australian Open website even had a poll about which woman was the most ‘glamourous’ - and the tennis itself seems to be a sideshow.

However, screaming on court is not a matter confined to the women’s game. Those who watched Rafael Nadal’s superb victory over Roger Federer last night will have noticed the Spaniard grunting throughout, but no-one seems to mind. Why?

Whether it’s a matter of bad sportsmanship or simply that it’s annoying, why aren’t the men subject to the same criticism and ridicule?

The WTA issued a statement last night, saying it would like to clamp down on grunting in women’s tennis – but would the ATP, the men’s tour governing body, ever do the same?

Not likely.

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On court I’m backing Maria Sharapova to win her second Australian Open to add to her 2008 title. The Russian has been there, done that, and I fancy her experience and composure to get her over the line in three sets.

Azarenka is a great story – ranked number ten 12 months ago, if she wins tomorrow night she’ll be the new world number one. But she’s never even played in a Grand Slam final, let alone won one.

And I suspect she played her final one game too early, in knocking out the reigning champion Kim Clijsters.

Afterwards, she said it was such a relief she wanted to cry. I believe it’ll be Sharapova with the tears of joy tomorrow night.