AO Women’s Singles Preview

Here is my preview and predictions for the Women’s Singles at this years Australian Open

This will be one of the most open Opens for many years and not just because of Serena’s absence.

This year there are a number of women in good enough form to suggest they are capable of registering a debut Grand Slam title - the top two ranked for example Simona Halep and long overdue Caroline Wozniacki.

Then the those already having majors to their name, top seeds and unseeded.

And the dangerous unseeded in form players who have no fear and could very well replicate the work of Jelena Ostapenko at the 2017 Roland Garros championships.

Let’s start with the top seed Simona Halep and her positives

She is at the top of her game and proved it with a title in Shenzhen this year already - her confidence is high and she believes this is her time.

There are negatives though and one is her record at Melbourne Park:

Best efforts quarter finals in 2014 and 2015 but first round exits in 2012, 2013, 2016 and last year.

Add to this a difficult draw - reaching the third round should be ok but then potentially Petra Kvitova looms and after that possibly Ash Barty or Elena Vesnina just to make the quarters where the seed scheduled for Simona is sixth seed Karolina Pliskova.

Move past that and Simona faces a semi final opponent which could be any of third seed Garbine Muguruza, 2016 champion Angie Kerber, Maria Sharapova, Anastasija Sevastova, Kristina Mladenovic or eighth seed Caroline Garcia.

Three of those are multiple Grand Slam champions.

If Halep creates her own history and reaches the final she may have to play either Caroline Wozniacki or Elina Svitolina from the bottom half of the draw.

Svitolina won in Brisbane, along the way beating Karolina Pliskova, and Wozniacki was runner-up to Julia Goerges in Auckland.

Before that potential match up Svitolina would probably have to pass by Goerges who is in the hottest form of anyone, having won the last three tournaments in which she has played. If not Goerges then how about last years finalist the veteran Venus Williams (8).

Wozniacki will likely play a quarter final against Coco Vandeweghe who shone at Melbourne Park last year and that will be tough for the second seed.

The unseeded finalists in the Sydney final are Ash Barty and Angie Kerber.

These two are the ones outside the big names who may play a big part in the Open this year.

Barty is firing after a scratchy start to her summer, while Kerber has been starring from the get go.

Watch out for Elise Mertens too - she is leading in the Hobart final 6-1 2-1 which is currently rain delayed, and has displayed some high level tennis throughout.

I’ve mentioned most of the names I believe are in contention just by delving into Simona Halep and her chances.

My picks for semi finals:

Karolina Pliskova (6) v Garbine Muguruza (3)

Julia Goerges (12) v Caroline Wozniacki (2)

I have left out current tournament favourite Elina Svitolina based on her Grand Slam record to date:

Two quarter finals at Roland Garros is the best there 

Best in Melbourne is third round three times

Last year when winning multiple other tournaments the best Elina could muster in majors were fourth rounds at Wimbledon and the US Open.

My preferred pick of Julia Goerges is a gamble considering she has only made it to the fourth round in majors - five times.

Significantly three of those were in Melbourne and now is the time and place for a another breakthrough for the big serving German.