Australian Open 2016: Saturday Melbourne Bracket's Schedule, Matchup Predictions
No. 1-ranked Serena Williams' march toward the rare calendar Grand Slam in 2015 captivated the sports world. Though she would ultimately fall short in her quest—losing to then-unranked Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the U.S. Open—her play thus far at the 2016 Australian Open suggests another yearlong campaign for a Serena Slam and a new level of sports immortality are possible.
Williams has steamrolled the competition in Melbourne on her way to a place in Saturday's women's singles final. Her imperious form has her on the verge of records you probably don't think about often, but are nevertheless ridiculously impressive, like this one from ESPN Stats & Info:
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Standing in her way is No. 7 seed Angelique Kerber, who has fought her way to her first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam final.
Should Williams win, it would be her seventh Australian Open crown and 22nd Grand Slam title, the latter bringing her level with Steffi Graf for the Open era record. Kerber has a chance to defend her fellow German's record, although it stands to reason Williams will eventually topple that mark one way or another.
Here's a look at the schedule for Day 13, followed by a preview and prediction for the women's singles final.
| Time (ET) | Round | TV | Live Stream |
| 3 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. | Women's Singles Final | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 5:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. | Men's Doubles Final | Tennis Channel | N/A |
| Time (local) | Draw | Matchup | Prediction |
| Not before 7:30 p.m. | Women's Singles Final | No. 1 Serena Williams (USA) vs. No. 7 Angelique Kerber (GER) | Williams in two |
| Following end of women's final | Men's Doubles Final | Nos. 7 Jamie Murray (GBR) and Bruno Soares (BRA) vs. Daniel Nestor (CAN) and Radek Stepanek (CZE) | Murray-Soares in three |
Note: Full schedule can be found at AusOpen.com. Live stream can be found at WatchESPN.
Women's Final Preview
Grand Slam semifinals should never look easy, but there Williams was, blanking No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska in the first set 6-0. The Polish star—undefeated on the calendar year and playing exceedingly well—managed just seven points in the set. Williams won 10 of 11 net points and made good on all three of her break-point opportunities.
BBC 5's David Law commented on Williams' dominance during the set:
It was a truly awesome display of precision from Williams, who is about as inevitable as death and taxes when on her game. Though Radwanska did battle back admirably after the bagel, Williams still closed out the match with eight aces in a 6-4 second set. The stunning win took all of 64 minutes.
Radwanska admitted beating the version of Williams that took to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday isn't possible, per Tennis.com:
Kerber beat out unranked Johanna Konta 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals. She kept the mistakes to a minimum, hitting just 11 unforced errors while striking 14 winners. Kerber showed plenty of poise in the match, but it will take much more than that to defeat Williams.
Kerber also dispatched No. 14 Victoria Azarenka—considered a real title threat from the outset due to her strong performances and ability to test Williams' limits—in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Williams acknowledged this impressive victory while also offering up a reason why Kerber might pose a threat.
"Well, she took out a really tough opponent in Victoria [Azarenka]," Williams said, per the Age's Daniel Cherny. "Her being a lefty definitely helps out as well. I haven't played any lefties yet. But we'll see. It definitely won't be easy."
Even if the American superstar is initially taken off guard due to Kerber's left-handed serves and unusual angles, she's more than capable of making up the deficit with her blistering return game and ability to play comfortably to either side. Kerber has no illusions about what it will take to beat Williams on Saturday.
“I have nothing to lose against Serena,” she said, per the New York Times' Karen Crouse. “I will go out there, try to enjoy my first final, try to beat Serena, of course, as well. I must play my best tennis to have a chance.”
Like almost every other women's tennis player, Kerber has a dubious record against Williams. The 28-year-old is 1-5 all-time against Williams, the lone win coming in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. All five of Williams' wins over Kerber came in straight sets.
The stats from their respective Aussie Open runs also heavily favor Williams, per Live Tennis:
"BY THE NUMBERS | Serena #Williams v Angelique #Kerber >> https://t.co/iJjWS4Xm0J pic.twitter.com/5jUNdbY0To
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) January 29, 2016"
The fact that Williams is in this final is a testament to her ability to summon her best tennis at any time. After losing in to Vinci in last year's U.S. Open in September, Williams took some time away from the sport. She finally returned to play in the Hopman's Cup earlier this month, but retired in the second set of her first match due to inflammation in her knee.
If the knee is bothering her in Melbourne, she's hardly showing it. Williams should defeat Kerber on Saturday night. For one, Kerber can hardly match her powerful serve, meaning quick points for Williams are on the table.
Williams also proved in her first set against Radwanska, in which she didn't manage a single ace, that her shotmaking abilities alone are more than enough to wear down an opponent.
Barring a perfect display of tennis from Kerber, Williams should win this match in straight sets, with Kerber perhaps making it tough at first by taking advantage of her lefty play.
At 34, Williams is hardly showing signs of slowing down. She could very well be the top story in women's tennis again this year, with Graf's record and others likely to fall.
Prediction: Williams in two sets
All match stats courtesy of AusOpen.com unless otherwise noted.
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