Australian Open 2019 Women's Final Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money

Naomi Osaka will be out to win back-to-back Grand Slam events on Saturday, when she faces two-time major winner Petra Kvitova in what has the potential to be a thrilling Australian Open final.

Emboldened by her victory at the U.S. Open last season, Osaka has kicked on again in Melbourne, showcasing a maturity and authority in her play that surpasses her 21 years. 

Kvitova will play in a Grand Slam final for the first time in five years on Saturday. Over the last two weeks, she has played some of her best tennis since returning to the court following a knife attack that left her with injured fingers on her playing hand in December 2016.

If the title and prize money weren't enough incentive for these two players, the winner will also move to the top of the WTA rankings.

Here are the key details for this final, the prize-money information and a prediction for the clash.

Australian Open: Women's Final Details

Date: Saturday, January 26

Time: 8:30 a.m. (GMT), 3:30 a.m. (ET)

Prize Money: Winner: £2.23 million ($2.9 million), runner-up: £1.12 million ($1.46 million)

Prize-money details in full are available on the competition website.

Preview

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Given she was ranked as the 72nd best player in the WTA standings when she competed at the Australian Open in 2018, the fact Osaka can move to the top with a victory on Saturday is indicative of the remarkable rise she's been on.

At the age of just 21, she now has the chance to become a two-time Grand Slam champion and cement her status as arguably the best prospect in the sport at the moment.

Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated commented on how assured she looks at this level:

There's a ruthlessness to her in key moments, too. In her semi-final win over Karolina Pliskova, Osaka was in control throughout the deciding set, and when she came close to wrapping things up, there were no signs of nerves from the fourth seed.

One of the hallmarks of her recent rise has been just how good a front-runner she is, not to mention how tough she is to outlast from a physical perspective. When she gets on top of an opponent, she tends to make it count:

In Kvitova, she will be up against someone who also has experience at this level, with the Czech having won Wimbledon twice, in 2011 and 2014.

At that point, she seemed set to add many more titles to her haul, although the injury she suffered in 2016 understandably meant the route back to the top was a challenging one. In her semi-final win over Danielle Collins, she was a comprehensive winner.

It was easy to see just how much that victory meant to the 28-year-old:

"It means everything," she said, per the WTA website. "This is why I work very hard to be in the finals of tournaments and the finals of majors."

When it comes to finals, she tends to bring her best:

The Czech was also involved in a much less taxing semi-final, potentially giving her a physical edge. Being a left-hander, that will also provide Osaka with some new problems, as will the variety of shot-making and dynamism Kvitova brings to the court.

Even so, Osaka appears to be riding the crest of a wave at the moment and will be bristling with confidence on the basis of what she's accomplished at this tournament as well as the U.S. Open. She will have too much for her opponent in an entertaining climax to the women's singles.

Prediction: Osaka to win in three sets