Some players believe they have the answer as far as the best preparation for the first Grand Slam tournament of the calendar year. It may be playing 1 or 2 ATP or WTA tournaments before arriving in Australia, or coming to our shores early and playing tournaments in other states. Some choose to play purely exhibition events such as the established Kooyong feature which Federer used to win regularly on the way to success at Melbourne Park.
The Hopman Cup is another event which offers no ranking points but does have a more competitive feel with participating nations riding the fortunes of each of the representative players.
The problem with assessing where players are in terms of readiness for the big fortnight is that many of the top players are unprepared to risk injury in the lead-up, fearing even a mosquito bite or ingrown toe nail could throw plans into complete disarray.
Fo goodness sake Vika Azarenka withdrew from the Brisbane tournament because her toe hurt. The thought of yet another possible loss to scheduled semi final opponent Serena Williams, and the battering her confidence might take into the Aus Open would have had nothing to with it now would it?
Maria Sharapova - one of the marquee players for the event - didn't even swing a racquet in anger for the fans, as she withdrew at the last moment.
Players with real injury concerns such as John Isner, coupled with the Richard Gasquets of the world who just pulled the pin, turned the mens draw in Sydney upside down with unseeded Bernard Tomic suddenly one of the finalists later today.
How do we assess the form of Tomic who towards the end of 2012 looked to be interested in anything but a professional tennis career? Yes he has had some great wins, including over the world number one, but he is at the top of his game whereas Djokovic, Seppi and others would hope and certainly claim that they will peak for the 2 weeks in Melbourne. I believe there are cases to argue for both camps - those such as Serena Williams, David Ferrer and Agnieszka Radwanska who are just red hot at present, and others like Roger Federer whose most competitive tennis of late is against his wife and kids. All deserve to be at short odds to appear in the Aus Open semi finals.
Before giving out my choices for individual Aus Open trophy winners in a fortnight or so, let me suggest to Sam Stosur that she take a leaf out of Novak Djokovic's book. Forget the lead up WTA tournaments in Australia - they only have the potential to do your head in. Next year put your hand up for Hopman Cup duties - no ranking points on the line and less of the critics sitting on your back waiting for you to fail. Guaranteed 3 singles matches and some mixed doubles to sharpen up parts of the game that aren't practised as often. Then hit the practice courts for the next week.
Novak is favourite to win his fourth Aus Open and with good reason. The finish to 2012 included defeating all his main protagonists except Rafa Nadal, who was and still is unavailable. If he does win as I predict he will, it will be the first time in the Open Era that a male player has won 3 Australian Opens in succession and the first time it has been done since Roy Emerson won 5 straight from 1963-1967.
Djokovic will be relieved that he is in the opposite half to both Murray and Federer, especially considering that he lost to Murray in the last Grand Slam tournament in New York and took an epic 5 sets to ease past the Scot in the semis en route to last years Aus Open. At worst he need only face one of them this year and it would be in the final. I suspect we will see a replay of US Open 2012 but with a different result. Murray had some difficult matches but managed to succeed in defence of his Brisbane title and these days has the belief that he can handle Roger's best.
Who will play Serena Williams fro the runner-up prize? It may be unwise to call a tournament so early and so categorically but when one considers that the best player in the world has won this title previously when unseeded or unfit, it is quite scary to note that in 2013 she enters Melbourne Park on the back of a dominant Brisbane win and looking healthier and stronger than at any point in her illustrious career.
If Maria Sharapova is not as injured as she occasionally would have us believe then she, on the basis of her record here and the strengths in her game warrants selection for another semi final berth. She is seeded to meet Agnieszka Radwanska, and I am unsure if the much improved Polish star has made up the necessary ground to compete with Maria. However I like Aga and I don't have all that much time for the screamer, so my heart will rule - a replay of 2012 Wimbledon with Serena Williams providing further education for a potential world number one in Radwanska as she wins her 16th Grand Slam title.
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