Australian Open 2015 Results: Day 12 Scores and Day 13 Bracket Predictions

Only one singles match took place on Day 12 of the 2015 Australian Open, but what the day lacked in quantity, it more than made up for with quality. No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in five thrilling sets, earning a trip to the men's final to meet No. 6 Andy Murray.

That match marked the third time in as many years Djokovic and Wawrinka faced off in Melbourne. Interestingly enough, all three of those matches went five sets.

The No. 4 seed spoke of this phenomenon during a press conference, via AusOpen.com: "No, for that, there's no pressure for that. I'm surprised we went five sets again, even if the last one was 10 minutes. But, no, for sure we had some great battle here last two years. Today was strange match. He was there playing good enough to win and he deserve to win and play the final."

The "strange match" Wawrinka was referring to was the fact that neither player appeared to be in his best form on Day 12. Both struggled with accuracy, accumulating a combined 118 unforced errors and showing some sloppy play up at the net. It was Djokovic's ability to take advantage of Wawrinka's serving woes that sealed the match by a score of 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

With that enthralling Day 12 match in the books, it's time to look ahead to another highly anticipated clash on Day 13, as No. 1 Serena Williams faces No. 2 Maria Sharapova in the women's final.

Day 13 Bracket Predictions

(1) Serena Williams vs. (2) Maria Sharapova

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These two tennis juggernauts have plowed through the women's field at Melbourne to reach the final. This impending contest will be the 19th time the two have met, as Williams holds the 16-2 head-to-head edge. It may be tough sledding for Sharapova, as she hasn't found a way to defeat the No. 1 seed since 2004.

Sharapova and Williams last met in the Miami Open in 2014, a match that Williams won in consecutive sets. The difference-maker in that match was Williams' ability to maintain a consistent serve and take advantage of her opponent's service issues. Unfortunately for Sharapova, those factors may come back to haunt her on Day 13 of the Australian Open.

Williams has been extremely on point with her serves in Melbourne. She's won at least 70 percent of her first-serve points in five of six matches and accumulated a total of 70 aces, according to AusOpen.com. What makes her serves extremely dangerous is her ability to hit all four corners with precision. This keeps her opponents guessing and on their heels.

Following a victory over Madison Keys in the semifinals, Williams credited her serve as one of her keys to success during a press conference, via AusOpen.com: "Well, I was just happy to get through it today. And I think I was able to serve big when I needed to. So that really helped me out a lot."

Sharapova has been playing some dominant tennis in Melbourne as well, dropping just one set over her six matches. The No. 2 seed's strength has been on her first-serve points, winning at least 73 percent of them in five of her matches. The issue, however, has been her lack of opportunities to win those points, as she only kept more than 58 percent of her first serves in play in just one match.

During a press conference, the Russian spoke of her history with her upcoming opponent and the challenge in facing her, via AusOpen.com:

"

Yeah, I think her power and her aggressiveness, I think that's always made me a little bit too aggressive, maybe going for a little bit more than I had to. You know, she's great at making players hit that shot that you don't necessarily have to go for. You know, maybe going for a little too much, going on the line. It's been a really difficult matchup for me, but, you know, I am a competitor.

"

That quote isn't a good sign for Sharapova. She's been struggling with accuracy at times, and if she continues to display too much aggression, that will only continue to hinder her ability to keep the ball in play.

In the past, Williams has been able to throw Sharapova off her game by starting hot and forcing her to play from behind. Expect that trend to continue in Melbourne, as Williams earns her 19th Grand Slam title.

Prediction: Williams wins in two sets