If you've been watching the previews of the women's event and listening to the experts then you will know that Serena Williams is expected to coast to the title. Since losing in the first round of the French Open she has lost only once and has won two Grand Slam titles. The beauty of the women's game is it's unpredictability. The top players can have an off day and there are so many lower ranked players able to take advantage. This years Australian Open has the potential to be one of the more exciting women's events.
Williams is the odds on favourite to win the title and rightly so. She has been the best players over the last six months of action. She looks a lot trimmer than she normally does and I think she has worked very hard on her fitness over the break. She looks determined to win every match and when she is in her groove very few can even hit with her, let alone beat her. She has the greatest serve women's tennis has ever seen and knows how to use it. It will take a monumental effort to beat her and if nobody can produce that then she will be the holder of three Grand Slams and on the verge of completing a second Serena Slam.
The top seed for this event and defending champion, Victoria Azarenka, might feel she has every right to be considered the biggest threat to Serena. She stormed to the title last year crushing Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the final and I think she is right up there with Williams. Their US Open final was a classic. Azarenka was the first woman in a long time to actually compete with Serena at her best. She is able to hit with Williams and they are on a collision course to meet in the semi final in what would be an epic clash. It's between those two, in my opinion, and barring massive upset the winner of their meeting will be the champion.
Sharapova is someone I think might be suspect to an early exit. She isn't at her best and is suffering from a collarbone injury. Her serve leaves her down on the big occasion and mentally I'm not sure she believes she can beat Williams or Azarenka anymore. She will need to regain her confidence pretty fast or she could endure a miserable time in Melbourne. Angnieszka Radwanska has started the year with two titles and she should be full of confidence. She pushed Serena to three sets in the Wimbledon final last year despite a virus keeping her out of practice at the time. She is in the easier side of the draw and has a chance to make a good run to the final.
Petra Kvitova has endured a nightmare start to the year and is really struggling for form. She could be in danger of an early exit with a tough section but on the other hand she is dangerous if she hits form. It could go either way with her but if she does start playing like we know she can then she becomes a contender. Na Li is another dangerous player who has started strongly this year. She has reached the final here before but I'm not convinced she is capable of winning it out. She was unlucky against Clijsters here last year and might feel she is due good fortune. Staying with the theme of unpredictability, Sam Stosur is another dangerous player with the weapons to win here. She struggled massively in Australia last year and hasn't looked much better this year so far. Could she turn it around and win in front of her home fans?
Ana Ivanovic is coming back to form and she might feel she is due a deep run at a Grand Slam. Since employing Nigel Sears a few years back she has regained her confidence and is a threat to the top players again. Is she ready to reannounce herself on the big stage? Tsvetana Pironkova is finding the consistency that her game so desperately craved and she is mor than capable of beating the top players. She has been a revelation at Wimbledon in the past but can she repeat that form here? Sabine Lisicki and Caroline Wozniacki are two players unfortunate enough to meet in the first round. Lisicki has the power to beat the best and is capable of a deep run. Wozniacki is starting to find her form again after slipping way down the rankings. The winner of this meeting is going to be difficult to beat and could upset one or two of the favourites along the way.
Angelique Kerber is a genuine danger in this event. She is now established in the top ten and is the last woman to beat Serena. She has beaten almost all the top ten and has the talent to win Grand Slams but the question is does she have the mentality? I think she does but I'm not sure she believes in herself enough when she's behind. If she can find her way into week two without wasting much energy then she becomes a top contender. Dominika Cibulkova may have been double bageled by Radwanska last week but she did have some great wins along the way to that final and she has the firepower to hit through anyone. She struggles to maintain her form for long periods though and if you stay with her then you can reap the rewards but she should have enough to reach week two.
Can you ever substitute experience? It is crucial in this game and Venus Williams has tons of it. She knows how to win matches and I really think she has another big performance at a Grand Slam in her. This could be her chance to upset Sharapova and reach the second week. Another veteran who I think is a dark horse here is Svetlana Kuznetsova. She had a tough 2012 but she is now back to her old self and is still only 27. She has the game to win majors as she's shown before. She won the US Open in 2004 and French Open in 2009 and is due another slam. She started the year well, beating Julia Goerges and Caroline Wozniacki before losing to Kerber. She could be a surprise package this year.
From veterans to young guns and we have a number of dangerous young players this year all capable of winning matches. Laura Robson had some big wins in New York last year but I don't think she is ready to make consistent runs on the tour. She will be overpowered by so many players and she will struggle against players with better movement. Heather Watson is another young player starting to make a name for herself. She doesn't have an easy draw but she has a chance to win some tight matches and possibly reach a third round. Sloane Stephens, on the other hand, she can win and she can win big. She has the game and will fancy herself to beat either Sharapova, Schiavone or Robson in round three. I think she could reach week two and I like her chances of winning slams in the future. A real threat this fortnight comes in the shape of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The young Russian beat Kvitova and Kerber on her way to the Brisbane final before being outclassed by Serena. She has the ability to go deep and I firmly believe she will win a major someday. Maria Kirilenko is another Russian worth watching over the next week or so and keep an eye on Camila Giorgi. She made a run into week two at Wimbledon last year and might have a shot at a few big wins here.
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