Australian Open: Women's singles preview

By Barry McEneaney

The retirement of reigning champion Li Na means that only Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka return to Melbourne with experience of what it takes to triumph at the first Grand Slam of the season.

World number one and top seed Serena Williams claimed five titles here in an eight-year spell between 2003 and 2010, but her love affair with the event has seemingly turned sour, with the American having failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the last three years after missing the tournament in 2011 with a foot injury.

Williams arrived at Melbourne Park 12 months ago after a superb 2013 season which saw her capture 11 titles and reclaim the top spot in the WTA rankings.

Her fourth-round loss to Ana Ivanovic was all the more remarkable as she won all four of her previous encounters against the Serbian without dropping a set.

Williams went on to win seven titles in 2014, the highlight of which was her record-equalling sixth win in the US Open at Flusing Meadows. But high-profile exits in the early stages of the French Open, where she was thrashed in the second round by Garbine Muguruza, and Wimbledon, where Alize Cornet inflicted a third-round defeat on the American, made for a disappointing year in the majors.

Williams opted to kick off 2015 at the Hopman Cup, and while that may not be the best barometer to gauge a player's prospects at the Australian Open, she did seem strangely out of sorts.

Eugenie Bouchard blew the 33-year-old off the court in an emphatic straight-sets defeat, while Agnieszka Radwanska accounted for her in three sets in the final.

Williams still boasts the best service stats in the women's game, but she's not recording breaks of serve with the frequency of old. Her over-reliance on booming serves means she's increasingly vulnerable to an upset on the admittedly rare occasions when she's not serving at her best.

Powerful groundstrokes have long compensated for a lack of mobility around the court, but at the age of 33 her decreasing levels of court coverage could be exposed by opponents with the ability and variety in their games to keep her constantly on the move.

Maria Sharapova's only win at the event came in 2008, but the second seed comes into the tournament in eye-catching form.

The Russian claimed a second French Open title at Roland Garros last season in a year that yielded four titles - her best tally since 2006 - and finally seems to have recovered from the shoulder problems that have plagued her for a number of years.

The second seed and world number two cruised through the early round of the Brisbane International before defeating Ana Ivanovic in the final, and her form in the run-up to the event is in stark contrast to that displayed by Serena Williams in Perth.

Despite the positives surrounding Sharapova heading into the tournament, it would seem imperative that the 27-year-old avoids Williams in the final as her head-to-head record against her nemesis is an abject one.

Sharapova has won just two of their 18 encounters, with both those victories coming way back in 2004, and since 2010 the Russian has only managed to win a single set in 11 matches.

Simona Halep underwent breast reduction surgery in 2009 in an attempt to boost her career prospects and the Romanian has seen her ranking soar in recent seasons.

As recently as 2013 she was 47th in the WTA pecking order, but last year she became the world number two after reaching the final of the French Open and progressing to the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

An ankle and then a knee injury towards the end of the season prevented 2014 from being even more successful, but the 23-year-old demonstrated that she's in fine fettle ahead of the Australian Open by landing a first title of the year in Shenzhen.

The top seed missed her intended engagement at the Sydney International, citing gastroenteritis as the reason for her withdrawal, but the extra recovery time that has afforded her after her exploits in China could prove a blessing in disguise.

The variety in her game and her advanced tactical nous for one so young should see her go far.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has struggled to recreate her successes at SW19 at the other majors on the calendar and it's easy to see why. The 24-year-old Czech boasts one of the most effective serves in the game, but her return game and break percentages are some way below those of her biggest challengers for the title.

Kvitova's high unforced error count is a particular worry if she's forced to become embroiled in protracted baseline rallies.

Her confidence should be sky high after claiming the Sydney International title on Saturday, but it should be stressed that the courts at the Sydney Olympic Tennis Centre play faster than those in Melbourne.

Ana Ivanovic enjoyed an upturn in her fortune in 2014, regaining some much-needed consistency in a season that saw her land four titles.

Her best result at the majors last year came here when she shocked Serena Williams, but her nerve has often been found wanting on the biggest stages in recent seasons.

Eugenie Bouchard ended Ivanovic's run at the Australian Open at the quarter-final stage before being eliminated in the semis by eventual champion Li Na.

The game's newest pin-up girl reached the final of Wimbledon, landed a first WTA title and reached a high of five in the rankings in 2014.

The 20-year-old looks destined to win multiple majors, the first of which could come here in less than two week's time. However, to claim her maiden grand slam event, she may have to curtail some of the aggressive exuberance that can see her register a large number of unforced errors.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki slipped down the rankings during her relationship with Rory McIlroy, but experienced a marked return to form in 2014 which culminated in her run to the US Open final.

The Dane made a bright start to 2015, reaching the final in Auckland before losing out to Venus Williams. However, a wrist injury sustained in her opening match at the Sydney International could compromise her chances here.

Dominka Cibulkova was a beaten finalist in last year's event, but a wretched run of form in the second half of the season tempers enthusiasm for the Slovakian world number 10.

A foot injury was largely responsible for former finalist and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka plummeting in the rankings in 2014. Unseeded this time around, she'd rate as a danger to all if recapturing her best form, but recent results make that prospect improbable.

Martina Navratilova's coaching role with Agnieszka Radwanska is still very much in its infancy, but there are already encouraging signs that it's a working relationship that could bear fruit. Radwanska game is one based on impeccable technique, court craft and finesse, but her game is devoid of natural power and her second serve can seem positively anaemic. However, her performances at the Hopman Cup hinted at improvements in the service department and she could outrun her long odds.

Verdict

With doubts over number one seed and tournament favourite Serena Williams and question marks surrounding Petra Kvitova's efficacy on anything but fast surfaces, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard look more solid contenders for Australian Open glory, with preference for the Russian. Agnieszka Radwanska could also be dark horse for the title in an open-looking year.

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