Afternoon:
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Kim Clijsters has every reason to scream when she hits the ball given the constant pain from her damaged ankle but it is her fully fit semi-final opponent, Victoria Azarenka, who is making the biggest noise of all.
Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are two of the loudest shriekers in the sport, prompting the WTA, who run the women's game, to look into how they can control the noise.
Not surprisingly, Azarenka believes official action is not needed.
"I think it's kind of silly and the WTA should maybe look at some other things, too," said the world No3 from Belarus. "It should be between the Players' Council and WTA. We will discuss that during our next meeting and I don't like to bring things out in public - it's better behind closed doors.
"I don't think Maria and I are the only players who actually grunt. It's the way I am - the way I play.
"I used to play like this when I was a kid because I was weak, so I had to give that little extra power. It kind of stuck with me."
Azarenka was speaking after defeating eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7, 6-0, 6-2 to reach her first Australian Open semi-final.
In contrast, Clijsters is in the last four for the seventh time here. The defending champion beat outgoing world No1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 in scorching temperatures on the Rod Laver Arena in what is the Belgian's final Australian Open before she goes into retirement for a second time.
The cumulative effect of her many injuries is shaping this attempt to hold onto her title and the 28-year-old has vowed to stay away from hospitals in the final week here.
The No11 seed explained her build-up to the win over Wozniacki as she said: "Instead of really focusing on the match you are focusing on trying to get the ankle as good as possible; laying on the couch, every 20 minutes ice, 20 minutes off, 20 minutes ice, 20 minutes off. Leg elevated. Lymphatic drainage, all that stuff and my stomach, with all the medicine that I have been taking, is more upset than anything.
"I refused to have a scan on my ankle because I had one on my neck a couple days ago and I said, 'No more'. I've seen more hospitals these last six months than anything, so no more for me."
Defeat means Wozniacki will lose her No1 ranking after 67 weeks but the Dane is adamant a return to the top is possible even if she continues to fail to win a Grand Slam.
"We are just in January," she said. "At the end of the year you see who has played the best, most consistently all year round. I will get it back eventually."
This was Wozniacki's 20th attempt at a Major and she is now likely to head to the Gulf, where her boyfriend Rory McIlroy is playing in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
