Australian Open ‘the most open’

It’s being touted as the most open Australian Open ever, with grand slam-winning coach David Taylor declaring as many as 20 women can contend for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

The season’s first tennis major gets under way on Monday in Melbourne, with Taylor unable to nominate an outright favourite in the absence of titleholder and longtime grand slam dominator Serena Williams.

Taylor, the former mentor of Samantha Stosur, Alicia Molik, Martina Hingis and Ana Ivanovic and now in his first month coaching reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, has bracketed his Latvian charge with six others as his stand outs.

The Australian can’t split world No 1 Simona Halep, Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza, veteran Venus Williams, the resurgent Angelique Kerber, grand slam finalists Caroline Wozniacki and Karolina Pliskova and Ostapenko.

‘‘It’s amazing. It’s incredible. It’s never been like this before,’’ Taylor said

‘‘Normally there’s always two or three standouts and then there’s a group of five (challengers) and then there’s outsiders.

‘‘But this year everyone’s grouped in together, about 20 or so.

‘‘But I still think girls who have won a grand slam or been in the final of a grand slam are a step ahead of the others. ‘‘But it’s very open. Far out.’’ After almost a decade guiding Stosur and helping the Queenslander conquer Serena Williams in the 2011 US Open final, Taylor jumped at the chance to coach Ostapenko after finishing a year-and-a-half stint with Japanese prodigy Naomi Osaka.

‘‘I got a phone call out of the blue at the end of last year, two days after I finished the other job and here I am,’’ Taylor said

‘‘But it’s been great. I love it. It’s fantastic.

‘‘It’s a challenge obviously to keep that level so high. That’s her challenge now because there’s no question of the level. It’s just maintaining the level.’’

Taylor says it’s particularly refreshing working with Ostapenko’s mother and mentor Jelena Jakovleva, who he describes as one of the sharpest minds in tennis.

‘‘I love tennis and talking to someone who knows tennis like that, I love being in the team. I have to say,’’ he said.

In reigning in Paris the day after her 20th birthday, Ostapenko last year became the youngest women’s grand slam champion since Maria Sharapova more than a decade ago.

Taylor said the youngster’s precocious talent and mental fortitude was too appealing to turn down. ‘‘My girl’s in a really rare group that have the mental capability to win the big match on the big stage.

‘‘Definitely isn’t afraid of the moment,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s very unusual to win a slam (while) young now and she’s done