Race on to seize Serena’s crown
Halep and Wozniacki look good for Aussie honours
SIMONA Halep and Caroline Wozniacki spearhead the charge to succeed Serena Williams at an Australian Open left wide open by the withdrawal of the defending champion and new mother.
A pregnant Williams, 36, sealed her 23rd grand slam singles title and seventh Melbourne Park crown a year ago, but said last week she would not defend her title.
She said she was “super close”, but not quite ready to compete after giving birth in September.
With her having to wait to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 grand slam singles titles, the tournament is there for the taking by a host of players.
They are led by world No 1 Halep, second-ranked Wozniacki and fourth-ranked Elina Svitolina.
Last year, there were two firsttime major winners while Serena was on maternity leave – Jelena Ostapenko at the French Open and Sloane Stephens at the US Open.
But their chances in Melbourne look slim: Stephens has not won a match on tour since her Flushing Meadows triumph, and Ostapenko was far from her attacking best in Shenzhen and Sydney.
Wimbledon champion and world No 3 Garbine Muguruza retired with severe cramps in Brisbane last week – perhaps a further boost to Halep’s hopes of a maiden slam.
The Romanian, 26, is full of confidence after lifting the title at Shenzhen in dominant fashion, but will need to overcome her sorry record at Melbourne Park, where she has lost in the first round in both of the past two years when seeded in the top four.
Wozniacki is riding high after her resurgence last year when she reached eight finals, with victories in Tokyo in September and at the season-ending Tour Championship.
The Danish former world No 1 lost in the Auckland Classic final on Sunday to Germany’s Julia Goerges, but said she felt great heading to Melbourne as she too looks to make her slam breakthrough.
“I got a lot of matches under my belt this week. It was the preparation I hoped for,” Wozniacki said.
She is back up to world No 2 and, if results go her way, can return to the top spot after a six-year gap.
In-form Svitolina last week won the Brisbane International after picking up five WTA Tour titles last year, more than any other woman.
The Ukrainian believes hard work in the off-season is paying dividends. “I’ve started to play more consistently,” she said. “I’m stronger physically. “I have a different look to my game.”
World No 6 Karolina Pliskova lost to Svitolina in the Brisbane semifinal but will also be a contender for a maiden slam behind one of the biggest serves on tour.
British world No 9 Johanna Konta could figure despite a slow start to the season.
She reached the last eight in both her Australian Open appearances to date, but slumped out of the Sydney International in the first round this week.
But the most dangerous floater is 2008 champion Maria Sharapova, who moved back into the world’s top 50 on Monday for the first time since returning from a 15month doping ban.
The Russian, ranked 47th, lost in the Shenzhen semifinal to Katerina Siniakova and admitted she had a lot of things to improve on.
If it is not to be a new name on the trophy, it could well be the oldest player in the field – evergreen Venus Williams, 37.
She last won a slam in 2008 but enjoyed a renaissance last year.
Only sister Serena prevented her from winning an 11th grand slam singles title in last year’s all-Williams Melbourne final.
Victory would see her eclipse Ken Rosewall as the oldest player
yet to win a major. – AFP