They are separated by just a year in age but by a chasm in experience, ranking, success and wealth.

Russian marketing dream Maria Sharapova and her slightly awkward and shy compatriot Ekaterina Makarova will find out on Wednesday if the gap in their game is as wide.

The pair will fight for an Australian Open semi-final berth with the fourth-seeded Sharapova heavily favoured to win against the unseeded Makarova.

So far, the tale of the tape gives Sharapova an obvious edge – she has won their only two previous meetings and, while the first one went to three sets, the last was a breeze as the towering blonde romped home 6-1 6-1 in Rome last year.

Makarova is in her first grand slam quarter-final. Sharapova won Wimbledon at 17, the US Open two years later and the Australian title in 2008.

The 56th-ranked Makarova has been cast in the role of giant-slayer, however, following her straight-sets win over five-times champion Serena Williams.

Sharapova caught a few minutes of the match, but didn’t need even that to know at least an orange alert is flashing for her.

“I thought that Makarova, the few points that I saw, played really solid and well, forced unforced errors from her,” Sharapova said.

“But either way, I mean, it doesn’t matter. For her to come in and win in straight sets and to play at that level means she’s obviously on a pretty big, high note right now, confidence-wise, and that’s always dangerous.”

Sharapova said that, as always, she would be more concerned on her own approach to the match.

“You’ve got to concentrate on yourself. You know that you’re in a quarter-final stage of a tournament. It’s only going to be tough from here.”

Sharapova revealed that her desire waned two years ago, after eight years on the circuit but warned she had regained her hunger.

“The fact is I’ve been on the tour for many years, so you don’t get away from that fact.

“I mean, I’m fortunate to be sitting in this position and, saying that, I achieved great success (a Wimbledon win) at 17 years old.

“But I’m 24 years old, almost 25. I love this sport as much as I loved it, you know, when I was at that age.”

She said she did not think she had peaked in her game simply because she had won three majors.

“Every day, I feel like I wake up and I go out, I feel like I can improve and that makes me feel young,” she said.

“I feel like I still have a lot of energy and desire. Maybe the year before last I was on a steady line, maybe didn’t have that energy and passion and everything was kind of at a standstill.

“But I feel like I’ve regained that energy.”