Australian Open 2015: Day 13 Schedule, Matchup Predictions for Melbourne Bracket

While the men's final for the 2015 Australian Open saw a little bit of a shakeup, the women's final was as predictable as any in recent memory. No. 1 seed Serena Williams and No. 2 Maria Sharapova will battle for the right to hoist the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

These two women have a history during their illustrious careers, but it has mostly been one sided. Williams holds a 16-2 advantage overall and is riding a 15-match win streak over her Russian opponent.

Ahead of the Aussie Open women's final, below is a look at the full schedule and predictions.

Viewing Information

Where: Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia

When: Saturday, Jan. 31, at 3:30 a.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Women's Final Prediction

Before getting to a full breakdown of the match, it has to be mentioned that Sharapova hasn't triumphed over Williams in a long time. In fact, it's actually been over a decade since a 17-year-old took down the two-time defending champion at Wimbledon.

Yes, 2004 was the year and Sharapova followed that up with another win over Williams in the WTA Tour Championships final. Live Tennis pointed out just how long ago that was for the two players:

"

How long has it been since #MariaSharapova beat #SerenaWilliams? Facebook didn't exist ... http://t.co/ww7nqnS4Vz pic.twitter.com/HnOkkETg9W

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) January 30, 2015"

Since that point, Williams has been dominant in the once even rivalry. Of her 15-straight victories, Williams has pulled out two Grand Slams over Sharapova, including the 2007 Australian Open.

Even with that success, Christopher Clarey of The New York Times isn't sure anyone can pull off what Williams is trying to accomplish:

At this point in her career, however, Williams appears to be on cruise control. The world No. 1 slipped up several times to start 2014, but she rebounded by blistering through the field at the U.S. Open.

She's done the same in Melbourne and has a chance to clinch her 19th Grand Slam with a win on Saturday. Despite dropping two opening sets in the third and fourth rounds, Williams has advanced through every challenge thanks to her overwhelming power.

Rather than pressing this late in her career, Williams spoke about being relaxed ahead of the final, per ESPN Tennis:

"

Pre-championship interview w/ Serena Williams: "Now I'm just having fun & playing for records." #AusOpen #ESPNTennis pic.twitter.com/ZJAgEy9rzg

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) January 30, 2015"

While Sharapova has proved she can take down the mighty Williams sisters in the past, Serena is determined to retain her place atop the women's game. A great run for Sharapova will come to an end with Williams claiming her sixth Australian Open title.

Prediction: Williams defeats Sharapova, 7-5, 6-4

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.