Australian Open 2016 Women's Final Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money
It might not be a completely apt comparison, but on some level, Angelique Kerber is a perfect representation of the rest of the women’s tennis players participating at the top level.
The 2016 Australian Open will be her first major final after spending the past four years or so entrenched in the top 10 of the world rankings, and it could be the thing that would launch her into a new level of success were she playing in any other era.
Were she not facing off against arguably the most dominant player in the history of the game and one of the greatest to play tennis, this could be the spark that ignited a career at the top. But this isn’t an age of parity in women’s tennis; this is the era of Serena Williams.
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The world No. 1 has been the best player in the game for some time now and doesn’t appear to be letting go of that title any time soon.
With each passing tournament, Williams' legend continues to grow as the greatest player tennis has known, and the Australian Open final could be the stage where not even the record books can dispute that fact.
She isn’t unbeatable—no one truly is—but Williams has been in the best form of her career over the past couple of years and heads into the final as the heavy favorite to walk away with the grand prize.
Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
When: Saturday, 30 January, 3:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. GMT
Watch: ESPN
Prize Money: Winner $3.85 million, Runner Up $1.9 million
Prediction
Perhaps it is modern culture's obsession with a great story and the so-called Hollywood ending, but if there was ever a time for Kerber to face off against Williams in her first Grand Slam final, it is now.
Williams is only a single title away from tying the record set by Steffi Graf, the same player that Kerber—and an entire generation of German tennis players—grew up idolizing. Script writers would have a field day if the world No. 7 seed pulls off an upset.
From an on-court perspective, though, Kerber is playing the best tennis of her career and if there was ever a time for her to play the match of her life and pull off the upset, it would be this weekend.
Only dropping one set during the tournament, the 28-year-old has looked absolutely unstoppable at times, making wins against Johanna Konta and Victoria Azarenka seem easy. She has been prone to significant drops in play, but she deserves her spot in the final.
But for all the things going for Kerber heading into the final, there is one pretty big factor that can’t be overlooked and makes an upset seem almost impossible: her opponent.
As the defending champion and coming off one of the most successful sports years in history, Williams was already the heavy favorite, but her form in Australia has been high even for her, making the run to the final look easy.
After getting pushed 6-4, 7-5 in the first round against Camila Giorgi, Williams went on a tear that is hard to match to advance to another Grand Slam final.
Since that opening-round scare—a relative term considering she won in two sets—the 34-year-old has won 60 games and lost only 17, and she has rarely shifted into the dreaded extra gear with which she has dominated the sport in recent years.
In her last two matches, Williams has dispatched with the No. 5 and No. 4 seeds in the tournament who both pushed the champ for a single set but were brushed aside.
The pure emotion for Kerber should be enough to keep her in the opening set against Williams, who doesn’t always start matches firing on all cylinders, with a possible chance of pulling out a set if the No. 1 seed rests too much on her laurels.
But even at her most dominant against Konta, the German player didn’t hit the levels that Williams has displayed throughout most of this tournament, making a shock win tough to call.
If Kerber can attack and not get rattled early, that will be her best chance at victory against Williams.
During her match with Konta, the German made a number of mistakes but looked at her best when hitting the ball with confidence, something Williams tends to drain from overmatched opponents on a regular basis.
In 2012, Kerber beat Williams when the American was in fine form, but the circumstances surrounding this match are a little more raised, making it hard to imagine that kind of slip-up.
Unless there is a serious mental lapse from the favorite, she should walk away as Australian Open champion for the seventh time in her career.
Prediction: Serena Williams beats Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-2.
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