Australian Open 2012 live stream

The party crashers in this year’s Australian Open women’s quarterfinals are the unseeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia and Sara Errani of Italy.

All the other quarterfinalists came with star recognition and seedings: No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, No.2 Petra Kvitova, No.3 Victoria Azarenka, No.4 Maria Sharapova, No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska, and No.11 Kim Clijsters.

The top half of the draw's quarterfinals played out on Tuesday with Wozniacki tumbling to Clijsters, the defending champion, 6-3, 7-6 (4), and Azarenka rebounding from a one-set deficit to score a 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2 win over Radwanska.

On Wednesday, the 56th-ranked Makarova and the 48th-ranked Errani will be attempting to join Clijsters and Azarenka in the semifinals. Makarova will try her luck against countrywoman Sharapova, while Errani takes on reigning Wimbledon champion Kvitova.

Interestingly, Errani and Makarova squared off against each other on Tuesday in the doubles. Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Makarova and her partner, Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

It would seem a big ask to expect the little-known Makarova to battle well against Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion. But considering Makarova produced a huge upset by sending Serena Williams packing in a well-played 6-2, 6-3 fourth-round outing, maybe not. Williams was considered the favorite by many to add a 14th Grand Slam trophy to her collection here, while Makarova had never ventured to a Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Welcome to the final eight, Ekaterina. And she did it in style, outplaying the most potent player in the game.

“It’s unbelievable to be the first time in the quarters,” Makarova said on Tuesday. “Yesterday I didn’t, maybe, believe what I did and that I am in the quarters. Today I know I have to go forward because tomorrow is the next match and I can’t think about yesterday because I have to think about tomorrow.”

The 23-year-old Makarova, whose best previous Grand Slam showing was reaching the fourth round at last year’s Australian Open and again at Roland Garros, believes she has a game plan that could deliver against Sharapova. While she’s displayed up-and-down results through her career, she said she worked diligently during the off-season and is seeing the payoff here at Melbourne Park.

Makarova is a left-hander and Sharapova could find that troubling as Williams did in the fourth round. She’s beaten three top 10 players in the past -- No.9 Anna Chakvetadze at the 2008 U.S. Open, No.9 Nadia Petrova at the 2009 Miami tournament, and No.7 Samantha Stosur at the 2010 Eastbourne tournament.

“It’s so exciting,” said Makarova, who doesn’t know Sharapova that well. “She’s a tough player. I have to play my game and remember to be aggressive. For sure, I have to make her work and keep her running.”

Even with earning a surprise quarterfinal berth, Makarova’s had some time to pursue one of her favorite pastimes here in Melbourne: shopping.

“I like clothing,” she said. “I just like to go out and sometimes I’m not buying, but I’m looking and then I’m not thinking about the tennis. But, sometimes, of course, you’re buying something like great shoes. I’ve bought two dresses here and one pair of shoes from Australian designers. I bought dresses made by Lisa Barron.”

While Makarova takes to shopping and movies, Errani follows a family passion for soccer: Her brother Davide, plays soccer and is a defender.

Errani’s picked up a soccer skill that she’s far better at than any of the other WTA players. She’s completed 208 consecutive touches -- that’s bounces of the soccer ball off her foot without the ball touching the ground, for those not familar with soccer parlance.

But Errani was clear when she chatted with a handful of mostly Italian reporters on Tuesday that the skill -- as amazing as it sounds -- offers no benefits to her tennis.

Errani certainly didn’t need anything extra during her 6-2, 6-1 fourth-round win over Zheng Jie of China. But the 24-year-old might need something special -- at least some luck in her corner -- when she takes on Kvitova for the first time in her career.

“I just try my best all the day of my life, I think,” Errani said. “I’m working hard and the results are coming.”

Going into the unknown, it’s certain that Errani’s seen Kvitova in action and visa versa, but it’s not the same as having played a player in the past.

Nevertheless, Errani’s confident that now that she’s playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, she’ll give everything she has to try and reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.

“I’m playing good so I’m ready to play tomorrow,” Errani said. “It’s quarterfinal and I’m playing good, so I’m happy to be playing and I hope to enjoy it.

The big question is whether either Makarova or Errani, or maybe both, can continue their party crashing ways to move into the semifinals.

As a bit of encouragement, two unseeded women have actually walked off with the title here: Chris O’Neill in 1978 and Serena Williams in 2007. Perhaps we'll have another.