MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams has been there before – three times in fact. The closest Dinara Safina has been was watching her brother celebrate his title.

On the line tomorrow night (3:30 a.m. EDT Saturday) at Rod Laver Arena will be the Australian Open championship – potentially Williams’ fourth here and 10th Grand Slam title. It would be the first for the 22-year-Safina after she lost the French Open final last year to Ana Ivanovic.

The No. 1 ranking will also be decided – the winner takes it along with the title.

While Williams, who secured her eighth grand slam doubles title today when she teamed with her sister to beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Japan’s Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3 in the final, has memories of hoisting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup three times, Safina can only recall seeing her brother, Marat Safin, win the men’s title here in 2005.

“I watched my brother on TV winning this tournament and even if I was to watch it now I would have tears in my eyes,” said Safina, who beat fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 (4) yesterday. “It is great that I can follow in his footsteps because he was my idol, and he is still my idol.”

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After a scorching day in which temperatures hit 111 degrees, Roger Federer beat Roddick 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 in more manageable 91-degree heat last night in the Australian Open semifinals.

Federer will be playing in his 18th Grand Slam final, but wouldn’t know his opponent until early today, when Spanish left-handers Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco met in the other semifinal.