Australian Open 2012 TV Schedule: Top Women's Matches to Watch on Jan. 19

If I'm being honest, tennis is one of the only women's sports that I can sit down and watch. 

If you are a female reading this, you just scoffed at me, probably because you think I like women's tennis for the same reason guys like Hooters.  The fact is, I actually enjoy watching the sport, not just the outfits (and come on, the wings at Hooters are delicious)!

More to the point, the Australian Open is up and running at a great pace, and we've certainly witnessed some incredible matches—and the second round is still being played!

With more second round matches to come on January 19, here are a few games of note that you may want to catch.

Maria Kirilenko (27) vs. Aleksandra Wozniak

The battle between these two ladies won't make many headlines, but it will certainly be a good match to watch—why?  Simply put, both of them are pretty evenly matched.

Maria Kirilenko has been around a little longer than Aleksandra Wozniak, but in all honesty, their successes in singles competition (at least in Grand Slams) are pretty similar.  There's only one quarterfinal appearance between them, and that belongs to Kirilenko (2010 Aussie Open).

As they prepare to meet in just a few hours, I find that in terms of speed and athleticism, there's not a whole lot of difference.  What I think will be the x-factor is that Wozniak plays with more power.

I've found that Kirilenko's game is about driving the ball cross-court and trying to wear out her opponent that way.  Wozniak is well-conditioned and is going to be able to drive the ball harder, wearing down Kirilenko in a similar fashion.

I'll take Wozniak in this one.  For the record, whoever wins will likely be facing second-seeded Petra Kvitova—kind of a harsh victory celebration.

Sorana Cirstea vs. Urszula Radwanska

On the surface, a match between two unranked opponents wouldn't mean a whole lot.  However, this one features a different aspect.

Sorana Cirstea is coming off a first-round upset of hometown favorite Samantha Stosur, and she did it pretty dominantly.  Now you've got to wonder how she's going to play in her second game since bouncing a Top 10 opponent from the Open.

Urszula Radwanska doesn't bring much experience or glow to this match, but she could definitely make some noise by taking down Cirstea.  A victory would send her to the third round for the first time in her Grand Slam career and jump start what could potentially be a good career.

The problem is that while Cirstea took down Stosur in two sets, Radwanska needed three to take down her first-round opponent.

Cirstea plays with a little more aggressiveness, and that's why I originally predicted her to take down Stosur.  I see her taking this one in straight sets.

Jelena Dokic vs. Marion Bartoli (9)

This one becomes interesting because of the fact that Jelena Dokic is one of the remaining Australians left in the Australian Open.  She is unranked, but I was very impressed with her dominating round-one victory.  However, as is usual, her first-round opponent was highly inferior.

The same can be said of Marion Bartoli, but she is obviously a more well-known name given her ninth-ranking.  She's coming off a very impressive 58-win 2011 season, and is continuing a good run in 2012. 

While a lot of people will see this as a mismatch, I don't see it that way.  It's not that I'm incredibly impressed by Dokic or unimpressed by Bartoli, but Dokic has had success in previous seasons. 

It's true that neither lady has won a Grand Slam, and part of that is because they each tend to have two different identities on the court.  One game they'll come out well, then look like garbage—I call it the "Isner effect."

Whichever one of these women can come out and commit the fewest unforced errors will be the victor.

I'm going to take Bartoli in a three-set affair.

Sloane Stephens vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (19)

Historically, Svetlana Kuznetsova strongly outweighs Sloane Stephens.  Kuznetsova has two Grand Slam titles, so what makes me think Stephens—who has only 76 career wins—has even a remote possibility of victory?

My thought is that Kuznetsova doesn't have much left.  She struggled to beat her first-round opponent, Chanelle Scheepers, which isn't exactly a household name.  Kuznetsova dropped the second set of that match, leading me to believe that she may not have the power and speed left to get far in the Australian Open.

Stephens, on the other hand, is on the rise on the WTA, playing with great speed and poise in her Australian Open debut.  She won in straight sets.

Given Kuzentsova's struggles and Stephens' success in the first round, I'm going to take Stephens to win in three sets.

Jamie Hampton vs. Maria Sharapova (4)

While I do think that Maria Sharapova is going to win this match, I don't think it will be easy. 

Since having very good runs in the Australian Open from 2005-2008, Sharapova has struggled in Melbourne.  She couldn't compete in 2009, made a first-round exit in 2010, and was eliminated in round four last year.

Maybe I'm dwelling too much on the past because Sharapova's first-round victory was incredibly impressive—she only dropped one game in two sets.  However, I don't think Jamie Hampton is a pushover.

She had a very impressive 2010 season, collecting 59 wins.  The problem is that Hampton is only 22, and really just beginning to make appearances on the big stage.  I'll give her credit for her first-round win over Mandy Minella as it was a dominating performance.

I think this match will be where Hampton will make some noise and get her name out there.  I take Sharapova to beat the American newcomer, but it'll be something like 6-4, 7-5.  It will not be a complete squash as may be anticipated.