The women's event at this year's Australian Open defied expectations, and not in a good way.  A record number of seeds tumbled out early, leaving the door wide open for a host of unheralded competitors to take advantage of their absence.  But through all of the chaos, Serena Williams has remained as constant as ever.  The top seed put to rest any questions about her fitness with her march to the final, which came without the loss of a set.  The only woman who now stands between her and a 22nd major singles title is Angelique Kerber, the seventh seed, who is making her Grand Slam final debut.  

There is no doubt that Kerber is facing a tall order on Saturday.  Contesting and subsequently winning one's first major final is never easy.  Trying to hand Williams a loss is often a colossal task.  Combine the two together, and it can seem to be a nearly insurmountable challenge.  But Kerber cannot approach the final with this mindset.  Instead, she must focus on one challenge at a time and what she can do to overcome them.

First there is Williams, and what a formidable foe she will be in this match.  The top seed owns the greatest serve in the history of the women's game and one of the most devastating returns to go along with it.  She boasts greater firepower than Kerber from both wings, and she also looks increasingly comfortable up at the net.  Her exceptional court coverage makes her extremely difficult to hit through, and when she is at her best, few can hang with her, let alone defeat her.  

Kerber is sure to need help from Williams if she is to get the win, but the German has a game that if executed  to perfection could extract that assistance.  She needs to have an above-average serving day, and if she does, effectively utilizing her lefty serve could make life easier for her in her own service games.  Like Williams, Kerber is known to have a notable retrieving ability.  That ability to put a lot of balls back in play is a skill that has historically troubled the American when she is off her own game.  But it is imperative that the seventh seed look to be offensive.  The biggest criticism of Kerber through the years is that she relies too much on her phenomenal defense when she has the tools to be an offensive player.  She exhibited controlled aggression to earn her first victory over Victoria Azarenka earlier this tournament, and that is the kind of offense she is going to have to employ against Williams if she is to have any hope of causing the upset.

Of course, the seed of hope has to be with Kerber before she even steps out onto the court and then blossom with her level of play.  There is no way to predict how a player will handle her first major final, particularly when up against such a decorated champion.  Kerber may come out like the proverbial “deer in the headlights.”  But there is reason to believe she may be the opposite.  She has lost five of her six meetings against the top seed, but she did win once, which means she knows victory is possible.  She is the underdog, and that brings its own sense of freedom.  She has also exhibited far more positive body language throughout this fortnight than she has ever shown in the past.  But it is perhaps the way that she defeated Azarenka that provides the greatest sliver of hope for the German on Saturday.  Down a double break at 2-5 in the second set, the old Kerber would have gotten down on herself and allowed that set and potentially the match to slip away.  This time, however, she dug in her heels and mounted a comeback to steal the set and seal the victory.  She is going to need that kind of fight and determination when she faces Williams.

Williams certainly will not be lacking any fight or determination.  She may come in confident and calmer, having been here so many more times than the seventh seed and enjoying such a dominant record over her German opponent, but she is wise enough not to take anything for granted.  She is aware she is not immune to nerves, nor the pressure of playing for such a prestigious title.  There is also always the possibility that dwelling on the prospect of tying Steffi Graf's record of 22 major singles championships will lead to sloppy play from the top seed.  But even if such a scenario were to unfold, Williams' belief in herself to get the job done no matter how well or how poorly she is playing makes it hard to bet against her in this battle.

All told, it seems almost inevitable that Williams will be the player hoisting the trophy at the end of play on Saturday.  Kerber has the ability to test Williams and in so doing, accomplish the unthinkable by capping off the tournament with one last shocking upset, but it is highly unlikely.  The chaos of the year's first major is likely to be all but forgotten as Williams looks set to restore order by finishing this major the way she has done so many others – as the last woman standing.