The 2013 Australian Open is the 101st
edition of the Grand Slam, as the stars of the world’s game descend
on Melbourne Park once again. World Number One Victoria Azarenka
stormed her way to her maiden Grand Slam title last year as she
triumphed over Maria Sharapova in straight sets in the final. That
served up a big year for the Belarusian as she started hitting the
full ceiling of her potential, but is there even more to come from
her? She will be one of the front runners for the title, as this will
be a big season for her in her quest to become a multiple Grand Slam
champion and not a one off wonder. Her presence in the game, her
heavy hitting is likely to take her to more, but is the timing right
for her in her first ever Grand Slam title defence? Azarenka has a
21-6 match record at the event and will take heavy backing.
Azarenka though withdrew from the
Brisbane International semi finals just over a week before the start
of the 2013 Australian Open, after getting a toe infection following a
pedicure which went bad. She is now racing to be fully fit. But the
main issue for Azarenka is the fact that Serena Williams is going to
be in the field and looking for her third Grand Slam in a row after
winning Wimbledon and the US Open in 2012. The American started the
season off well as she powered her way to victory in the Brisbane
International as a warm up. She had set up a semi final clash with
Azarenka in Brisbane, but the Belarusian missed the match before of
her toe infection, so fans will wait with bated breath for the first
meeting of 2013 between the two. Williams holds a massive 11-1 head
to head record against Azarenka, beating her five times last season,
including wins over the Belarusian at Wimbledon, the US Open and the
Olympic Games. Williams is gunning for her sixth Australian Open and
with 52 wins from her last 54 matches at the close of Brisbane, she
is going to be the one to stop.
If either Williams and/or Azarenka
fails to grab the title, then the most likely candidate in line will
be Russian tennis queen Maria Sharapova. Sharapova played some of the
best tennis of her career last season, and completed a full Grand
Slam set when she took the French Open at Roland Garros. While the
Achilles Heel of Victoria Azarenka is Serena Williams, it is Azarenka
who has been a stumbling block for Sharapova. Of six meetings last
season, Azarenka took four wins, including victories at the
Australian Open (the final) and the US Open. Still, Sharapova is the
toughest defensive player on the circuit and she has a 34-8 record at
Melbourne Park, winning the title back in 2008. This will be her
tenth appearance at the Australian Open.
The title could ultimately come down to
one of those three but there is a superbly competitive pack behind
them. 2011 Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova has looked a bit rusty
out of the blocks in the new 2013 season but had a great run to the
semi final last season in the Australian Open. A more promising
prospect could be China’s Li Na who went to the final in 2011, one
better than her semi final appearance in 2010. Na landed the title in
Shenzhen, China in her first tournament of 2013 and could make a
strong run in Melbourne. Germany’s rising star Angelique Kerber
proved that should could live with and beat the best (only one of two
players to beat Serena Williams in the American’s last 54 matches)
last season. She looks to have Grand Slam credentials in her, but is
she ready yet?
It leaves a good opportunity for
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska to have a run at the title. She opened
2013 in fine fettle, winning in Auckland with ease. One of the most
tennis consistent players last season on the women’s tour, she lost in the
final of Wimbledon to Serena Williams and is looking for her first
career Grand Slam title. She is someone who could grow in stature and
she one of the most intelligent players in the game, more than
compensating for what she lacks in power compared to the likes of
Williams, Sharapova and Azarenka.
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