Saturday 30 January 2016 08:46, UK
Serena Williams will be aiming to match Steffi Graf's Grand Slam haul of 22 major titles when she takes on Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final on Saturday.
But German seventh seed Angelique Kerber will be hoping she can prevent the American from emulating her idol while carving her own piece of history.
Victory against Kerber would draw Williams level with Graf's Open-era best while taking her own tally of Melbourne triumphs to seven.
Check our minute-by-minute updates of the game on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis, from 8am on Saturday morning.
She is currently third in the all-time list after moving three clear of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova's 18 but she remains short of Australian Margaret Court, who is out in front on 24.
The 34-year-old world No 1 is a red-hot favourite to beat the first-time finalist on Rod Laver Arena and has appeared completely focused since her shock US Open semi-final defeat to Italy's Roberta Vinci.
She has not dropped a set at all and conceded just 17 games since her first-round win, where she shrugged off her knee injury and lack of match practice to beat Camila Giorgi.
Williams battered the five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the quarter-finals and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0 6-4 in the semi-finals.
Both Sharapova and Radwanska said afterwards they felt that Williams was playing at a level above everyone else.
"I would say this is probably the best slam I've played in a year, and I've won a lot in a year," Williams said on Friday. "Even if I don't win, I really can take away that I've been really consistent and I want to continue that."
Williams and Kerber have met six times, with the American winning five, though Kerber's 6-4 6-4 victory in Cincinnati in 2012 was one she would not forget.
"I thought she played unbelievable in that match," Williams said. "I think from then on out I've been really focused that she's someone that I, and everyone, has to take very seriously."
Kerber, who saved a match point in her first round clash with Japan's Misaki Doi, will enter her first major final with immense confidence, believing a 'nothing to lose' attitude had got her this far.
It was that attitude that helped her overturn a 2-5 second set deficit in her quarter-final against Victoria Azarenka and gave her a first win over the Belarusian in seven matches.
"'Nothing to lose' means I can go out there and try to play like I'm playing, without pressure," the 28-year-old said. "I think most will say, 'okay, Serena will win'.
"But I don't have so much pressure like she has. I know I can lose the match. That's why I'm going out there to try to win it."
Kerber's confidence comes from four years of consistent play, in which she has consolidated a top-10 ranking, won seven tournaments and made the WTA Finals three times.
She will be ranked a career-best fourth by the end of the tournament, and could be two if she becomes the first German to clinch a major since Graf won the last of her slams at Roland Garros in 1999.
"I think I grow in the last few years to be a top-10 player," she said.
"Now I'm back in the top five. I think I showed everybody that I deserve it. That's a good feeling."
Seventh seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares will be aiming to land their first Grand Slam title together in only their third tournament together as a doubles team when they take on unseeded veterans Daniel Nestor from Canada and Czech Radek Stepanek who have a combined age of 80.
It will also be the first time two brothers have played the singles and doubles finals at the same Grand Slam after Andy Murray reached the men's singles final on Friday.
All the updates you need can be found on skysports.com, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis
By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices.
