Since i'm Australia bound tomorrow (and bored at work!) I thought i'd start off this thread to see who people think will win in one of the most open grand slam events ever!

The leading contender –
Maria Sharapova
With Henin-Hardenne out Sharapova takes the role of favourite. She’ll be the highest ranked player at the event, won the last grand slam and has made the semi finals for the last two years. If the courts do play faster this year that can only be good for her powerful baseline game. What counts against her is with the exception of her US Open win she has fallen at the semi final stage in the big events all too often. Henin gave a masterclass in how to beat her at the YEC – Sharapova better hope that not too many other players were paying attention.

The defending Champ –
Amelie Mauresmo
It says something about Amelie that despite winning two grand slams last year she only ended up as the world number 3. As encouraging as her slam wins were last year she is still prone to inconsistency & all too often will revert to a passive style of play, waiting for her opponent to win the match rather than going out to win it. She can win this event but she can just as easily lose badly. Hopefully the pressure of being defending champion won’t weigh to heavily on her.

The goodbye girl –
Kim Clijsters
Kim’s had a pretty successful start to this year after an up & down 2006, Hong Kong may only have been an exhibition event but there’s still a psychological edge in beating Sharapova and the rest. The big question with Kim is whether she will put her full focus into tennis while she can. Last year she didn’t look interested half the time and paid the price for it. If she really cares then she can win this event.

The comeback continues –
Martina Hingis
Going from unranked to world number 7 was a huge achievement for Martina but with the exception of the YEC she looked less convincing post Roland Garros than she did before it. That’s not a huge surprise considering adjusting to playing sport at such a high level week in week out must be very difficult but it remains to be seen how she’ll cope in the long run. So far this year her tight losses to Jankovic & Safina were not exactly disasters but do make clear that the old days of her cruising through to the semis and only really facing opposition from Venus, Serena & Lindsay are over. That said her record at this event must make her one of the favourites.

The (other) Russian’s –
The Australian Open has been the most Russian free of all the slams in the last few years. Apart from Kuznetsova in 05(QF) only Sharapova has made it past the 4th round. Dementieva has a particularly poor record here and her Sydney form hardly suggests things will be different this time. Their cause hasn’t been helped by both Petrova & Kuznetsova pulling out of Sydney with injury/illness. Theoretically there is no reason that they shouldn’t do well here but I can see them under achieving once again.

The wild cards –
Venus & Serena
Well Serena looks like she’ll turn up at least plus Venus hasn’t pulled out as yet so that’s a start. Can they win it – well yes either of them can though I’d say Serena is the more likely of them to do it. Could they go out early – well yes again they could. At the end of the day we don’t really have any idea of what’s going to happen with these two. Both of them are unseeded so we could get some very intriguing early match ups.

The future –
I don’t remember any previous time when there were so many promising youngsters hanging around the top 20 looking to move up. Safina, Jankovic, Chakvetadze, Peer, Ivanovic, Vaidisova, Ivanovic & Golovin all have serious potential and have improved considerably in the last year – they all posted their best ever slam performances in 2006. With the event looking as open as it ever has they all have a great chance of doing well here. If I had to lean towards any of them it would be Jankovic. If she hadn’t let things slip against Henin in New York she may already have won a slam & she’s started the year off looking very dangerous.

I think Kim is going to make an effort to go out with a bang this year-she's already beaten Sharapova. Have a great time in OZ GS2 :) We all jealous

I'll try - I get the feeling it won't be difficult!

Just a shame I won't get to see Mary (or Myskina or Justine) :(

Oh well - Jelena, Tati, Nicole or Ana for the title!!

Kim will make an effort when she slams the door on her career :rolleyes: roflmao

My opinion, dont care about the reaction :lol:

Sharapova is an early contender i suppose, but i just feel like mauresmo at her best could expose her game more. Whatever people say, Sharapova is a poor mover and if these courts get sticky and slow, she'll be in trouble movement wise.

Jankovic is looming dangerously. I feel Hingis should be a threat, but she is being trodden over by the power again. No matter how Hingis tries to be evasive about it, she does struggle against the power and that ineffectual second serve doing nothing to help her campaign. Still a quarter-final looks likely for her again, but dont expect her to beat Sharapova, Clijsters, Momo- they have moved ahead of Hingis by far atm. Those GS defeats against clijsters and the fact that she only beat Sharapova out of that group in 06, just shows me how much she has going against her. I just cant see her holding up the trophy this year at all........

I dont know how venus is atm, but i so hope she plays!!!!! :( :pray: Even if she pulls out, fitness is her priority and me as a fan. Still i would love her to play the Aussie, havent heard that many reports that say her wrist is in that bad a way. Just gotta sit it out and wait for news :unsure:

Serena could have another resurgence but its hard to say until she plays in melbourne, Hasnt looked entirely convincing in Hobart, but the good thing is she's competing well and is at least injury free for the moment. She's the 2 time champion and she knows how to win here. Question is can she produce her form of yesteryear for 7 matches? God i hope so :lol:

No Serena hasn't looked entirely convincing has she, in fact her movement and footwork don't seem to have come on at all since the USO :(

Still she won a tiebreaker for the first time since 2004 yesterday so thats good :D

Also, her coniditioning may have improved and if it has, then she can play herself into the tournie and hopefully build up some momentum.

Apart from that Jankovic seems a real prospect, she got to the semis of the USO and could've really got to the final! Would like to see Martina do well, I see a quarterfinal, probably a semi but no final :(

Hopefully Kim can win it if no-one else is able to; save us from Maria or Momo at least :rolleyes:

The thing with the AO this year is just how open the event is. If Justine were here then she'd be a pretty convincing favourite but without her then it really is anybody's.

I've put Sharapova as the favourite but I'm really unconvinced that she can win this.

This really is an event when no outcome would surprise me.

who i think will win - clijsters
who i want to win - hingis
who might win - sharapova

I'd rather Momo win than Sharapova/kim :rolleyes: roflmao

Sharapova's robotic hitting does zilch for me.............

who i think will win - clijsters
who i want to win - serena
who might win - momo

would like clijsters to win..
n i think she could very well do.

other favourites would have 2 be sharapova n mauresmo

Who I think will win - Maria ( :rolleyes: ) or maybe Kim or Momo

Who I think has a chance of winning - Hingis or a Williams

Who I would like to win - Elena Dementieva of course but if she makes it past the first round it will be better than last year ( :( )

Who I think will win: Sharapova or Mauresmo

Who I would like to win: Petrova :pray:

Jankovic, I said back in October that she'll win it, and I don't think the likes of Sharapova, Clijsters and Mauresmo are gonna own all the slams again this year. She looks in real good form, and I think she has learned from her US Open semi-final disaster, and will be more prepared to handle the pressure. I don't know why I said Mauresmo will win it the other day, as I always felt it would be a suprise winner. ;)

My mate was watching Clijsters today in Sydney against Peer and he reckoned she was in awesome form - better than she was against Kuznetsova in Madrid (where she was incredible!) - if she can keep this up then i'd go with her as the most likely to win this. Especially as she knows she won't be running into Justine at any point!

mmm...... have a good one in the land of Aussies GS2 ...... wish I could come with you.. But, I already had a sun tan break in cape town south africa....

Have fun!!!!

Well....I really think Kim might just do it,,,from obvious reasons..... but even sharapova seems a darkhorse and the ever doggedly charismatic Jelena Jankovic is definately one to watch.

Aside from any injuries ... it should be an intriguing but not a really nail biting final.

No Justine is already a bummer...but it leaves the field wide open for any other girl with fight to triumph....