Australian Open 2015 Women's Final: Schedule and Predictions for Title Match

The 2015 Australian Open has produced a women's final of epic proportions. No. 1 Serena Williams will be facing off against No. 2 Maria Sharapova for the right to hoist the coveted Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Neither of these women are in uncharted territory, as Williams has emerged victorious five times in Melbourne, and Sharapova has claimed one title. Both players are extremely familiar with each other, as well, having faced off a total of 18 times over the course of their careers. Williams has seen an overwhelming amount of success against Sharapova, having won 16 of those meetings.

Live Tennis tweeted a telling statement regarding how long it's been since Sharapova last defeated Williams:

"

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"

This year in Melbourne, each competitor has been on a torrid pace, as Williams has dropped two sets and Sharapova has dropped just one en route to the final. When they are at the top of their games, both women can do some serious damage, and based on the way they've been playing of late, we should be in for a show.

Before the top-two seeds return to the court, here's a look at the essential viewing information and a prediction for this pivotal showdown.

Viewing Information

Who: No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 2 Maria Sharapova

When: Saturday, January 31

Where: Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia

Time: 3 a.m. ET

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview and Prediction

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Her stellar history against Sharapova aside, Williams appears to have the upper hand heading into this match due to the extremely well-rounded play she's displayed in Melbourne.

Williams' serve has been brilliant throughout the Australian Open. She's accumulated 70 aces throughout her six matches and has won at least 70 percent of her first-serve points in all but one contest, via AusOpen.com. Those attributes were well on display in her semifinal clash against Madison Keys, in which Williams totaled 13 aces, won 73 percent of her first-serve points and allowed her opponent to win just 29 percent of her receiving points.

Not only is the No. 1 seed on point with her serve, but she's been dominant in several other aspects of the game. Her well-placed balls have been keeping her opponents scrambling during rallies, and she continues to keep her unforced errors to a minimum, totaling just 16 in the semifinals.

Although, Williams hasn't had to run much herself (in the semifinals, Keys covered over 100 more meters during the match), and if she's tested in that department, we could see interesting results. Williams has been dealing with a cold throughout the tournament, and according to The Associated Press, via ESPN.com, she had to cut Friday's practice short.

Said Williams via a statement from the WTA: "I had a false start (this morning). I wasn't feeling really well. I've been sick with a cold all week, and I got better, then I got worse the morning."

If Sharapova is going to end her drought against Williams, taking advantage of her opponent's illness must be a part of her game plan. The No. 2 seed is coming off a very strong performance against No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova. While her first-serve accuracy was a bit off, she still managed to win 81 percent of her first-serve points and was impressive on the defensive, winning 51 percent of her receiving points.

Still, her most important statistic in relation to her impending contest against Williams is this: Sharapova won a total of 63 percent of her medium rallies against Makarova. Winning those rallies is extremely significant for the No. 2 seed, as she forced her opponent to cover 1,089 meters over the course of the match. That kind of running could potentially pose an issue for Williams considering her health.

Sharapova also touched on her confidence heading into the final during a press conference, via AusOpen.com:

"

Yeah, I'm definitely happy. Like today, I thought I played solid. I did everything I had to do. I wasn't afraid for it to become a physical match. You know, I think it was important to really stand my ground in the first few games, which I did well, even though I was behind, especially the first and second one. But, yeah, those key moments are really important. Yeah, definitely happy I was able to win really solid today.

"

The key to the match for both players is to start strong. If Sharapova gets the early advantage, she'll force Williams to push herself harder, potentially affecting her health. Although, if Williams takes an early lead, she'll have the opportunity to take advantage of an overly aggressive Sharapova who will likely accumulate a fair amount of unforced errors.

While both players certainly have a strong case to win this match, the advantage here goes to Williams. She's played extremely well despite her illness, and her track record against Sharapova is difficult to bet against.

Prediction: Williams wins in three sets