Tennis Australian Open 2007 Preview:
Women's Draw

By Scott Ferguson

A better betting event in my eyes, with nine players trading under 40 on Betfair as opposed to three in the men. A swathe of injuries in the past fortnight though raises a few concerns. No Henin-Hardenne atop the draw opens it up even further.

Skimming through the seeds and chances:

1 - Sharapova. A semi-finalist in each of the past two years, now ready to go one step further after winning the US Open in 2006. Very cosy draw, only Ivanovic will draw a sweat from her before the semis where Clijsters, Hingis or Safina lay in waiting. 3.75

13 - Ivanovic. Tall and talented, but now being hunted rather than being the hunter. Tricky opening rounds, facing the up and coming Vania King, followed by Agnieszka Radwanska. Sharapova awaits in R4 should she clear those hurdles. 60

12 - Chakvetadze. In flying form after winning three of her latest four events but yet to be seen as a challenger to the very best. A chance to reach the quarter-final vs the top seed here, Stosur and Schnyder are the dangers to her. 80

24 - Stosur. Was only just inside the top 100 this time last year. Like Chakvetadze, can make the QF with a good run. 250

8 - Schnyder. Beaten by Peer and Clijsters in recent events. Has made at least the quarters here in past three years. Has the chance to continue that run. 150

4 - Clijsters. A win in Melbourne would be a dream start to her farewell year. Quitting the tour at the end of 2007 to get married and have kids with pro-basketballer Brian Lynch, she's already claimed the two events she has played in 07. A finalist once and a semi-finalist on another three occasions, this event is hers to win if the form continues. 4.5

9 - Safina. Started 07 with a win on the Gold Coast then turned up to Sydney still in party mode and lost to Pratt. The rest should have done her the world of good. A poor record here with only one venture into R3 in four attempts, you'd think her brother's performances here over the years would inspire her more. Should face Hingis, whom she beat in the Gold Coast final, in the round of 16 to proceed to a battle with Clijsters. The talent is there. 80

6 - Hingis. A great story to see her back in the top 10 but she still suffers from the same problem she had pre-retirement - she struggles to beat the big guns. Clijsters has her measure, Safina did recently, and she's a round earlier on the schedule. 40

5 - Petrova. Retired in Sydney with an abdominal strain. Has reached the second week here in the past two years. Could face Serena in R3 followed by Jankovic in R4. Fitness the concern, but had pre-tourney injury worries last year and soon got over them. 20

Serena Williams. Unseeded and unfit. Beaten by the household name Sybille Bammer in Hobart. Opens against Santangelo followed by Krajicek. Can't win. 100

11 - Jankovic. Tough and gutsy. Has battled all sorts of injuries this month, winning in Auckland and losing a tight final to Clijsters in Sydney (held a matchpoint). Was ranked 23 this time last year, can smash her record of four straight R2 exits to make the semis with this draw. 12

16 - Peer. Started the year 5-2, losing only to Safina and Clijsters, both of whom went onto win the title. Only the second time in the main draw for her. Good enough to trouble all but the very best. 125

3 - Kuznetsova. Bit of a surprise that she's so high up the ranks but like most Russians, plays as many events as her body can hold up for. A virus forced her to retire in Sydney but is expected to be fit in time. Soft draw, her real test will be against Jankovic or Petrova in the quarters. 40

7 - Dementieva. Won't be high in confidence after losing seven of her past nine matches. Soft draw, could meet Vaidisova in R4 followed by Mauresmo in the QF. Form is temporary, ability is eternal. 66

10 - Vaidisova. Lost both matches in HK exhibition but form improved once she hit Australia, beating Hantuchova and Ivanovic before a tight loss to the in-form Jankovic. R3 in 2005, R4 in 2006... a QF clash with Mauresmo looks a real chance and she has beaten her twice in a row. The smokey. 15

2 - Mauresmo. Finally shed her choker title with her victory here in 2006. Claimed she was underdone after being beaten 7-5 6-0 by Jankovic in Sydney. Her record in 2006 shows she doesn't worry too much about the small events anymore, it's the Slams and WTA Championship which counts. Cosy draw, no real tests until the quarters. 5

TIPS:

Will it be a fairytale ending for Clijsters, a darling of the Australian public? The top three in the market have comfortable runs and look to be priced correctly. I fancy it's time for someone new to come along and Jankovic and Vaidisova are the girls with the best chance of success.

To view the men's preview, click here.

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