Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will add another chapter into their rivalry as they face each other in the women's singles final of the 2015 Australian Open on Saturday morning at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Sharapova, who earned a spot in the final after scoring a straight-set win against fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the semifinals, is looking to win her second Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park, and sixth Grand Slam title overall.
However, the 27-year-old will be an underdog heading into her final showdown with Williams because her American counterpart has dominated their head-to-head matchups over the past decade.
Sharapova, who won the Australian Open in 2008, has not won against Williams in their last 15 meetings. In their last 11 matches, Sharapova managed to win just one set, and the other 10 were straight-set defeats.
But despite being dominated by Williams in their last 15 meetings, Sharapova is confident that she can finally get over the hump and break her losing streak on Saturday morning.
"I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who I'm facing and whether I've had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone," Sharapova told ESPN. "It doesn't matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title."
On the other hand, Williams is determined to maintain her dominance and keep her winning streak against the second-seeded Russian alive. The 33-year-old said that she enjoys playing against Sharapova.
"I think my game matches up well against her," Williams said in a news conference. "I love playing her. I think it's fun. I love her intensity. For whatever reason, I love playing. I just have the time of my life."
Williams, who is eyeing her sixth Australian Open title and 19th Grand Slam title, arranged a showdown with Sharapova after a convincing victory against compatriot Madison Keys of the United States in the semifinals.
Williams and Sharapova have met in three Grand Slam finals before. Sharapova defeated Williams in a historic 2004 Wimbledon final, which gave the Russian her first Grand Slam title. Williams emerged victorious in the 2007 Australian Open final and 2013 French Open title match.
The two tennis superstars are set to collide on Saturday morning, 3:30 a.m. EST, at Rod Laver Arena.
The 2015 Australian Open women's final will be shown live on ESPN. Online live stream will also be available on WatchESPN and Australian Open Live.
