Australian Open 2012 TV Schedule: Maria Sharapova Has Look of a Champion

Need some gambling advice on women’s tennis? Always bet on Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

She is a perfect five-for-five after Wednesday’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Makarova.

The 24-year-old has lost just 21 games in five matches and has emerged as the undisputed favorite to win the 2012 Aussie Open.

Next up for Sharapova is last year’s Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, who fended off upstart Italian Sara Errani 6-4, 6-4. She’ll be in the semis for the first time in her career.  While the second-seeded Kvitova won’t be any easy victory, Sharapova enters the match with more experience and momentum.

It’s the length of her 6’2’ frame that makes her so dangerous. No other elite player in women’s tennis can cover as much ground as quickly as Sharapova does.

That has allowed her to perform incredibly well on her returns. Already blessed with a terrific severe, this is the best all-around performance we’ve seen from Sharapova since her reign in the mid-2000s.

Her swagger is back, too. More often than not cameras caught an intensely focused Sharapova starring down her opponent like she was about to beat her up.

With a win in the finals away from securing the No. 1 ranking yet again, there is no doubt Sharapova has her eyes on the prize. She hasn’t held the top ranking since the middle of 2008.

There is no question in my mind that Sharapova is the favorite as we enter the final four at Melbourne Park. 

Australian Open TV Schedule

Coverage begins at 7 p.m. EST on the Tennis Channel and continues from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and from 3:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. EST on ESPN2. 

DirecTV subscribers can also catch every match through the Australian Open Experience.