2008 Australian Open Women's Preview

(1) Justine Henin BEL vs Aiko Nakamura JPN
Monique Adamczak AUS vs Olga Poutchkova RUS
Maret Ani EST vs Angelique Kerber GER
Emilie Loit FRA vs Francesca Schiavone ITA (25)

(19) Sybille Bammer AUT vs (Q) Tamarine Tanasugarn THA
(Q) Su-Wei Hsieh TPE vs Klara Zakopalova CZE
Kateryna Bondarenko UKR vs Aravane Rezai FRA
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA vs Tatiana Golovin FRA (13)

(11) Elena Dementieva RUS vs Tzipora Obziler ISR
Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP vs Petra Cetkovska CZE
(WC) Jessica Moore AUS vs Julie Ditty USA
Renata Voracova CZE vs Shahar Pe'er ISR (17)

(32) Julia Vakulenko UKR vs Elena Vesnina RUS
Jill Craybas USA vs Yung-Jan Chan TPE
Lindsay Davenport USA vs Sara Errani ITA
Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO vs Maria Sharapova RUS (5)

Henin doesn't usually get easy Slam draws. Well, her first four rounds at the US Open last summer were cupcakes, but she always draws a challenge in the quarters and semis. This year, she could get a challenge in the third round from Schiavone, who seems to be resurging once more and who pushed her to the limit a few years ago in Sydney. She might also face Golovin in the 16s. Tati made her breakthrough in Melbourne in 2004 when she made the second week. And she gave Justine a fight in the finals in Stuttgart last fall. Henin's serve is always attackable, but her opponents tend to let her get away with large numbers of double faults. This quarter also features a potential second-round battle royale between Maria and Lindsay. Some say that the winner of that match will make the finals. I wouldn't go that far. But both have the serves and returns to punish Justine if she doesn't shore up her delivery before the quarterfinals. But don't count out armywoman Pe'er who has the chutzpah to face off against anybody. Who can forget how she kept Serena on the ropes in last year's epic quarterfinal?

Unseeded Players to Watch: The younger Bondarenko, Rezai, Medina Garrigues, Chan, and of course Mamaport.

First Round Matches of Note: Loit vs. Schiavone, Bondarenko vs. Rezai, Vakulenko vs. Vesnina.

Upset Special: Can't see one, unless Vesnina prevails.
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(3) Jelena Jankovic SRB vs Tamira Paszek AUT
Stephanie Dubois CAN vs Edina Gallovits ROU
Flavia Pennetta ITA vs Dominika Cibulkova SVK
Ashley Harkleroad USA vs Virginie Razzano FRA (30)

(18) Amelie Mauresmo FRA vs Tatiana Poutchek BLR
Yaroslava Shvedova RUS vs Tatjana Malek GER
(WC) Casey Dellacqua AUS vs Karin Knapp ITA
Lilia Osterloh USA vs Patty Schnyder SUI (15)

(12) Nicole Vaidisova CZE vs Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Kaia Kanepi EST vs (WC) Alicia Molik AUS
(WC) Madison Brengle USA vs Tatiana Perebiynis UKR
Ai Sugiyama JPN vs Vera Zvonareva RUS (23)

(26) Victoria Azarenka BLR vs Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
(Q) Sandra Kloesel GER vs (Q) Julia Schruff GER
(Q) Ekaterina Ivanova RUS vs (Q) Meng Yuan CHN
(WC) Jarmila Gajdosova AUS vs Serena Williams USA (7)

This is Jelena's quarter but it belongs to Serena. Fit, focused, and fun-having, she is determined to defend her title. Melbourne is where she makes it happen. She loves the heat and if she can run she's hard to beat. She's never defended a title Down Under and in even years, she's been injured or "supersized" (I just read that description of her in a great book and couldn't wait to use it), but since change is in the air... Azarenka will have to wait till next time, Zvonareva may withdraw with an ankle injury, and Vaidisova will play up to her seeding. Which Schnyder will show up? Has Mauresmo fully recovered from her abductor strain? If so, another quarterfinal with Serena is likely.

Unseeded Players to Watch: Paszek, Pennetta, Harkleroad, Molik, Bringle. Don't look too far past Alica. The homegirl plays well in front of her people. A showdown with Serena in the 16s could be tight.

First Round Match of Note: Jelena vs Tamira could be a barnburner. The Serbian Diva has struggled with her body already this year and Tamira hits a mean ball. If JJ isn't able to retrieve....

Upset Special: ...then the Serb will be finished before she starts.

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Venus Williams USA (8) vs Zi Yan CHN
Camille Pin FRA vs (Q) Monica Niculescu ROU
(WC) Sophie Ferguson AUS vs (Q) Timea Bacscinszky SUI
Iroda Tulyaganova UZB vs Sania Mirza IND (31)

(24) Na Li CHN vs Severine Bremond FRA
Maria Elena Camerin ITA vs (WC) Christina Wheeler AUS
Mathilde Johansson FRA vs (Q) Marta Domachowska POL
Sofia Arvidsson SWE vs Marion Bartoli FRA (10)

(16) Dinara Safina RUS vs (Q) Sabine Lasicki GER
Ma Emilia Salerni ARG vs Mariya Koryttseva UKR
Caroline Wozniacki DEN vs Gisela Dulko ARG
Alla Kudryavtseva RUS vs Alona Bondarenko UKR (21)

Katarina Srebotnik SLO (28) vs Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP
Angelika Bachmann GER vs Anastasia Rodionova AUS
Tathiana Garbin ITA vs Eleni Daniilidou GRE
Sorana Cirstea ROU vs Ana Ivanovic SRB (4)

This is Ana's quarter but it belongs to Venus. (Is there an echo in here?) However, I say that with a caveat. Other than her run to the 2003 finals, Venus tends to start strong in Melbourne and then fade by the fourth round. But she sure as hell can't complain about her draw. If she's on, no one in this quarter will touch her, including Ivanovic who just can't handle Venus' serve and retrieval skills. If for some reason Venus falters before the quarterfinals, I'd be surprised if Ana doesn't get out of here, newly buff legs intact. The match I'd most like to see is the potential third rounder between Li and Maid Marion.

Unseeded Players to Watch: Danillidou always plays well in Melbourne amidst cheers from a large Greek fanbase.

First Round Matches of Note: Nada

Upset Special: Zilch

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(6) Anna Chakvetadze RUS vs Andrea Petkovic GER
Shuai Peng CHN vs (Q)Alisa Kleybanova RUS
Akiko Morigami JPN vs Michaella Krajicek NED
Meilen Tu USA vs Maria Kirilenko RUS (27)

(22) Lucie Safarova CZE vs Catalina Castano COL
Roberta Vinci ITA vs Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP
Alize Cornet FRA vs Clarisa Fernandez ARG
Vania King USA vs Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9)

(14) Nadia Petrova RUS vs Nicole Pratt AUS
Evgenia Linetskaya ISR vs Anne Kremer LUX
Laura Granville USA vs Yvonne Meusburger AUT
Ekaterina Makarova RUS vs Agnes Szavay HUN (20)

(29) Agnieszka Radwanska POL vs Olga Savchuk UKR
Martina Muller GER vs (WC) Pauline Parmentier FRA
Olga Govortsova BLR vs Tsvetana Pironkova BUL
Nathalie Dechy FRA vs Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (2)

This is the quarter of headcases with potential. Of all the headcases with all that potential, including the return of Evgenia Linetskaya, Sveta is the only one with experience in the latest stages of a major. And she's in good form. Of course she's also consistently inconsistent. But if she can keep up the level she brought to the Sydney final when she had chance after chance after chance.... she can book her place in the semifinals against Venus. Their career record is tied at 3 apiece. This isn't Wimbledon. A Melbourne matchup could be a classic.

Unseeded Players to Watch: None really. Dechy? Maybe. Pironkova? Meh.

First Round Matches of Note: King vs. Hantuchova, Govortsova vs. Pironkova

Upset Special: If Petrova's woes continue, Pratt will run her outta here.