Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova: Predictions for 2015 Australian Open Final
Only two players remain in the women's draw at the 2015 Australian Open, and it happens to be the top two players in the world.
World No. 1 Serena Williams will take on world No. 2 Maria Sharapova in Saturday's final to see who will claim the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Both players came through their semi-final matchups in straight sets, the American beating her teenage compatriot Madison Keys, while Sharapova cruised through her all-Russian clash with Ekaterina Makarova.
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Read on for predictions of how things will pan out at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
History Heavily Favours Serena
Sharapova's record against Williams is abysmal. The pair have met on 18 occasions, with the Russian winning just twice, per WTATennis.com.
Both of those victories for Sharapova came in 2004—her breakout year when she won Wimbledon at the age of 17—with Williams triumphant in the last 15 encounters between the pair.
During that streak, the 33-year-old has dropped just three sets, with the pair's last contest to go all the way coming in Miami in 2013.
When the players step out to face each other on Saturday, Williams will no doubt be given a huge boost of confidence by such a record, while it will undoubtedly be preying on Sharapova's mind.
Equally, Serena's record in Melbourne finals is flawless. She has won five out of five when down to the last two and is looking good to make it six.
Sharapova, on the other hand, has just a single Australian Open title from 2008 and has lost in finals twice, in 2007 and 2012, the former to Williams.
If the head-to-head record is anything to go by, picking a winner for Saturday's final is a no-brainer, with Williams surely certain to make it 17-2 against Sharapova.
Serena Has Looked Vulnerable in 2015 Tournament
Based on performances in this year's Melbourne tournament alone, though, Sharapova has a decent chance against an opponent who has often started slowly.
Williams needed a tiebreak to beat Keys in the opening set of their last-four encounter before the 18-time Grand Slam winner powered home in the second.
Similarly, she dropped the opening set in both the third round and fourth round, per sports writer Carole Bouchard, following early struggles against Vera Zvonareva in Round 2, per The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg:
A player of Sharapova's quality should be able to take advantage if Williams is sluggish once again in the final.
She must come roaring out of the blocks, as the first set could be crucial, and if the Russian can take the opener, she will reverse the trend of the pair's last four meetings in which Serena has won in two sets.
Sharapova is in fine form, with her only dropped set in Melbourne coming in Round 2 against Alexandra Panova. However, tipping her to win the final would be a big call, per 7Sport's Nathan Templeton:
Sharapova, of course, is in with a chance of winning on Saturday, especially as Williams has been fighting against illness this week, per The Guardian's Kevin Mitchell.
However, given the one-sided nature of the rivalry between the pair—and the American's consistency in Australian Open finals—Williams will surely be the triumphant contender.
Prediction: Serena to win in three sets.
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