The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Who will be in the headlines at Melbourne Park this year?
Courier Sport picks out seven players who will be looking to make headlines at Melbourne Park.
Elina Svitolina – The Ukrainian had little to cheer in 2018 until the final week, when she defeated five top-10 rivals to lift the trophy at the WTA Finals. Svitolina has underachieved at the grand slams, making just three quarter-finals, but if she can find her best form then her name deserves to be in the mix.
Aryna Sabalenka – Had Sabalenka rather than Osaka come out on top of a close fourth-round battle at the US Open, it might just have been the Belarusian’s name on the trophy. Still only 20, Sabalenka possesses fearsome power and an intensity to match. Began the season with a title in Shenzhen.
Ashleigh Barty – Barty is getting used to having the weight of Australian expectation on her shoulders but does not seem fazed. Her all-court game is growing in authority and she arrives full of confidence after defeating Halep on her way to the final in Sydney, which she lost narrowly to Petra Kvitova.
Alexander Zverev – the similarities between Svitolina and Zverev were inescapable even before both won their end-of-season tournaments. Zverev’s success at the ATP Finals, beating Federer and Djokovic back-to-back – plus Ivan Lendl in his corner –suggests that a grand-slam breakthrough will surely come soon, although a hamstring problem is a big worry for this tournament.
Karen Khachanov – Khachanov built up a nice head of steam during 2018. After pushing Nadal at the US Open, he joined a select group of current players to have won Masters events with victory in Paris. Hugely powerful with a good attitude. Fellow 22-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev is also a big talent to watch out for.
Borna Coric – Coric has been earmarked for future stardom since his junior days but 2018 was the year when he matured physically and with it came a string of impressive results, including beating Federer to win the title in Halle. Davis Cup success followed with Croatia and he appears headed for the top 10.
Alex De Minaur – Having begun last season as a little-known teenager ranked outside the top 200, 19-year-old De Minaur finds himself going into this tournament as the top-ranked Australian after winning his maiden ATP Tour title in Sydney. A supreme athlete with an excellent temperament and work ethic.