Justine Henin - a statistical tribute

JUST eighteen months after announcing her return to the tour, persistent elbow injuries have forced Justine Henin to re-retire from competitive action. The Belgian made her decision after a third-round loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Australian Open.

Win-loss record

Overall
527-116 (82.0%)

By year

1996 – 1-1

1997 – 11-2

1998 – 20-4

1999 – 33-10

2000 – 36-15

2001 – 57-18

2002 – 52-21

2003 – 75-11

2004 – 35-4

2005 – 34-5

2006 – 60-8

2007 – 63-4

2008 – 16-4

2010 – 32-8

2011 – 2-1

By surface

Hard outdoor – 226-44 (83.7%)

Hard indoor/carpet – 93-32 (74.4%)

Clay/indoor clay – 155-29 (84.2%)

Grass – 53-11 (82.8%)

By tournament

Grand Slam – 144-28 (83.7%)

Tour Championships – 13-5 (72.2%)

Tier I/Premier Mandatory – 116-25 (82.3%)

Other WTA events – 179-44 (80.3%)

Olympic Games – 6-0 (100%)

Fed Cup – 12-2 (85.7%)

ITF events – 57-12 (82.6%)

Titles

By year

1999 (1) – Antwerp

2001 (3) – Gold Coast, Canberra, Rosmalen

2002 (2) – Berlin, Linz

2003 (8) – Dubai, Charleston, Berlin, Roland Garros, San Diego, Toronto, US Open, Zurich

2004 (5) – Sydney, Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Olympic Games

2005 (4) – Charleston, Warsaw, Berlin, Roland Garros

2006 (6) – Sydney, Dubai, Roland Garros, Eastbourne, New Haven, Tour Championships

2007 (10) – Dubai, Doha, Warsaw, Roland Garros, Eastbourne, Toronto, US Open, Stuttgart, Zurich, Tour Championships

2008 (2) – Sydney, Antwerp

2010 (2) – Stuttgart, Rosmalen

Total – 43

By surface

Hard outdoor - 19

Hard indoor/carpet - 7

Clay/indoor clay - 13

Grass - 4

By tournament

Grand Slam - 7

Tour Championships - 2

Tier I/Premier Mandatory - 11

Other WTA events - 22

Olympic Games - 1

Finalist

2001 (3) – Wimbledon, Hawaii, Filderstadt

2002 (4) – Gold Coast, Antwerp, Amelia Island, Rome

2003 (3) – Rosmalen, Leipzig, Filderstadt

2005 (1) – Toronto

2006 (4) – Australian Open, Berlin, Wimbledon, US Open

2007 (1) – Miami

2010 (2) – Brisbane, Australian Open

Total – 18

Win-loss record in final – 43-18 (70.5%)

Record in Grand Slams

Australian Open – 38-8 (W 2004, F 2006 and 2010, SF 2003, QF 2002 and 2008)

French Open – 41-5 (W 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, SF 2001)

Wimbledon – 30-8 (F 2001 and 2006, SF 2002, 2003 and 2007)

US Open – 35-7 (W 2003 and 2007), F 2006)

7 W, 5 F, 5 SF, 2 QF, 8 R4, 1 R3, 3 R2, 4 R1

Overall – 144-28 (83.7%)

Record at Tour Championships

13-5 (72.2%) - W 2006 and 2007, SF 2003, QF 2001 and 2002 (72.2%)

Record in Grand Slams and Tour Championships combined

157-33 (82.6%)

Record in Tier I/Premier Mandatory Tournaments

By tournament

Indian Wells – 14-4

Miami – 20-8

Charleston – 14-1

Berlin – 28-4

Rome – 4-1

Madrid – 0-1

San Diego – 5-0

Montreal/Toronto – 21-4

Moscow – 0-1

Zurich – 10-1

Overall – 116-25 (82.3%)

By surface

Hard outdoor – 60-16 (78.9%)

Hard indoor/carpet – 10-2 (83.3%)

Clay/indoor clay – 46-7 (86.8%)

Record in other WTA Tournaments (Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV, Tier V, Premier, International Tournaments

179-44 (80.3%)

By surface

Hard outdoor – 73-13 (84.9%)

Hard indoor/carpet – 46-19 (70.8%)

Clay/indoor clay – 37-9 (80.4%)

Grass – 23-3 (88.5%)

Record for Belgium

18-2 (90%)

By surface

Hard outdoor – 8-0 (100%)
 Hard indoor/carpet – 4-1 (80%)

Clay/indoor clay – 6-1 (85.7%)

Record on ITF circuit

Titles won

1997 – Le Touquet ($10k), Koksijde ($10k)

1998 – Gelos ($10k), Grenelefe ($25k), Ramat Hasharon ($25k)

1999 – Reims ($25k)

2000 – Liege ($50k)

By year

1996 – 1-1

1997 – 11-2

1998 – 20-4

1999 – 17-4

2000 – 8-1

Overall – 57-12 (82.6%)

By surface

Hard (outdoor) – 10-0 (100%)

Hard (indoor) – 14-5 (73.7%)

Clay – 33-7 (82.5%)

Hard indoor/carpet – 4-1 (80%)

Clay/indoor clay – 6-1 (85.7%)

Record against top-ten opposition:

1999 – 0-1

2000 – 0-8

2001 – 3-9

2002 – 5-13

2003 – 16-9

2004 – 8-1

2005 – 9-2

2006 – 16-7

2007 – 22-1

2008 – 2-2

2010 – 5-3

Overall – 86-56 (60.6%)

Top ten wins by year

2001 – V. Williams-2 (Berlin)

2002 – Dokic-8 (Amelia Island), Capriati-2 and S. Williams-5 (Berlin), Clijsters-4 (Rome), Seles-4 (Wimbledon)

2003 – Davenport-10 (Australian Open), Myskina-10 and Capriati-6 (Dubai), S. Williams-1 (Charleston), Mauresmo-6 and Clijsters-3 (Berlin), Rubin-8, S.Williams-1 and Clijsters-2 (French Open), Clijsters-2 (San Diego), Myskina-10, Capriati-7 and Clijsters-1 (US Open), Dementieva-8 (Filderstadt), Myskina-8 and Capriati-5 (Tour Championships)

2004 – Rubin-10 and Mauresmo-4 (Sydney), Davenport-5 and Clijsters-2 (Australian Open), Myskina-5 and Davenport-4 (Indian Wells), Myskina-3 and Mauresmo-2 (Olympic Games)

2005 – Molik-8, Davenport-1 and Dementieva-5 (Charleston), Kuznetsova-7 (Warsaw), Sharapova-2 (Berlin), Kuznetsova-7, Sharapova-2 and Petrova-9 (French Open), Mauresmo-3 (Toronto)

2006 – Davenport-1 and Sharapova-4 (Australian Open), Sharapova-4 (Dubai), Dementieva-9 and Petrova-4 (Fed Cup), Kuznetsova-10 and Mauresmo-1 (Berlin), Clijsters-2 and Kuznetsova-10 (French Open), Clijsters-2 (Eastbourne), Clijsters-2 (Wimbledon), Kuznetsova-7 (New Haven), Hingis-7, Petrova-5, Sharapova-2 and Mauresmo-1 (Tour Championships)

2007 – Kuznetsova-5 and Mauresmo-3 (Dubai), Jankovic-10 and Kuznetsova-5 (Doha), Petrova-7 (Miami), Jankovic-7 (Warsaw), Jankovic-6 (Berlin), S. Williams-8, Jankovic-5 and Ivanovic-7 (French Open), Mauresmo-4 (Eastbourne), S. Williams-8 (Wimbledon), Petrova-9 and Jankovic-3 (Toronto), S. Williams-9 and Kuznetsova-4 (US Open), Jankovic-3 (Stuttgart), Chakvetadze-7, Bartoli-10, Jankovic-3, Ivanovic-4 and Sharapova-6 (Tour Championships)

2008 – Ivanovic-4 and Kuznetsova-2 (Sydney)

2010 – Dementieva-5 (Australian Open), Dementieva-6 and Wozniacki-2 (Miami), Jankovic-7 and Stosur-10 (Stuttgart)

Record against top-ten opposition at Grand Slams:

Australian Open – 6-7 (46.2%)

French Open – 11-2 (84.6%)

Wimbledon – 4-7 (36.4%)

US Open – 4-3 (57.1%)

Overall – 25-19 (56.8%)

Overall record against top-ten opposition at Grand Slams and Tour Championships combined:

Overall – 36-23 (61.0%)

Record against top-ten opposition by surface

Hard (outdoor) – 35-22 (61.4%)

Hard (indoor) – 13-15 (46.4%)

Clay – 31-11 (73.8%)

Grass – 7-8 (46.7%)

Record against top-twenty opposition:

1999 – 1-4

2000 – 1-9

2001 – 10-14

2002 – 14-15

2003 – 26-10

2004 – 11-3

2005 – 13-3

2006 – 30-7

2007 – 36-3

2008 – 2-3

2010 – 12-5

Overall – 156-76 (67.2%)

Record against top-twenty opposition at Grand Slams:

Australian Open – 10-7

French Open – 15-3

Wimbledon – 9-7

US Open – 10-7

Overall – 44-24 (64.7%)

H2H records

Head-to-head record with current top-ten

Caroline Wozniacki 1-0

Vera Zvonareva 6-0

Kim Clijsters 12-13

Serena Williams 6-8

Venus Williams 2-7

Samantha Stosur 1-1

Francesca Schiavone 7-1

Jelena Jankovic 10-0

Victoria Azarenka 0-0

Elena Dementieva 10-2

H2H over current top-ten – 55-32 (63.2%)

Head-to-head record with Grand Slam champions

Kim Clijsters 12-13

Serena Williams 6-8

Venus Williams 2-7

Francesca Schiavone 7-1

Svetlana Kuznetsova 16-3

Maria Sharapova 7-3

Ana Ivanovic 6-0

Amelie Mauresmo 8-6

Anastasia Myskina 8-2

Jennifer Capriati 5-2

Lindsay Davenport 7-5

Mary Pierce 4-1

Martina Hingis 2-2

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 0-1

Monica Seles 3-4

Conchita Martinez 8-0

H2H over Grand Slam champions – 101-58 (63.5%)

Other noteworthy head-to-head records

Nadia Petrova 14-2

Patty Schnyder 8-1

Best wins by score

60 60 over Aurelie Vedy – F Gelos (April 1998)

60 60 over Olivia Lukaszewicz – R1 Australian Open (January 2004)

60 60 over Aiko Nakamura – R3 Indian Wells (March 2006)

60 60 over Marion Bartoli – RR Tour Championships (November 2007)

60 61 over Nathaly Tijssen – R1 Koksijde (August 1997)

60 61 over Katalin Miskolczi – Q1 Reims (March 1999)

60 61 over Anna Kournikova – R2 Australian Open (January 2002)

60 61 over Patty Schnyder – SF Berlin (May 2005)

60 61 over Meng Yuan – R1 Wimbledon (June 2006)

61 60 over Laurence Combes – SF Gelos (April 1998)

61 60 over Sonya Jeyaseelan – R2 Gold Coast (January 2001)

61 60 over Sarah Pitkowski-Malcor – R1 Wimbledon (June 2001)

61 60 over Conchita Martinez – QF Wimbledon (June 2001)

61 60 over Janette Husarova – R2 Sydney (January 2003)

61 60 over Lina Krasnoroutskaya – F Toronto (August 2003)

61 60 over Conchita Martinez – QF Dubai (February 2004)

61 60 over Nicole Pratt – R3 Olympic Games (August 2004)

61 60 over Maria Kirilenko – R3 Berlin (May 2006)

61 60 over Shahar Peer – R4 US Open (September 2006)

61 60 over Zheng Jie – SF Australian Open (January 2010)

61 61 over Barbara Rosenberger – R2 Athens (May 1999)

61 61 over Joannette Kruger – QF Gold Coast (January 2001)

61 61 over Dally Randriantefy – R3 French Open (May 2003)

61 61 over Eleni Daniilidou – R2 San Diego (July 2003)

61 61 over Anastasia Myskina – SF Indian Wells (March 2004)

61 61 over Mary Pierce – F French Open (June 2005)

61 61 over Tatjana Malek – R2 Berlin (May 2007)

60 62 over Stephanie Content – Q1 Joue-Les-Tours (Oct 1998)

60 62 over Lenka Nemeckova – Q2 Hobart (Jan 2000)

60 62 over Nadejda Ostrovskaya – R2 Cergy Pontoise (December 2000)

60 62 over Nadia Petrova – QF San Diego (July 2003)

60 62 over Eleni Daniilidou – QF Dubai (February 2007)

60 62 over Ekaterina Makarova – R3 US Open (August 2007)

60 62 over Dinara Safina – R4 US Open (August 2007)

60 62 over Yung-Jan Chan – R2 Berlin (May 2008)

62 60 over Angeles Montolio – SF Reims (March 1999)

62 60 over Francesca Lubiani – R2 Palermo (July 2000)

62 60 over Evie Dominikovic – R1 Hawaii (September 2001)

62 60 over Katarina Srebotnik – R2 Australian Open (January 2003)

62 60 over Tamarine Tanasugarn – R3 Miami (March 2003)

62 60 over Elena Dementieva – Fed Cup (April 2006)

62 60 over Kaia Kanepi – QF Sydney (January 2008)

Firsts and lasts

First top-100 win – def. Jana Kandarr 6-3 6-0 (Joue-Les-Tours, Oct 1998)

First top-50 win – def. Miriam Oremans 5-7 7-5 63 (Fed Cup, April 1999)

First top-20 win – def. Anna Kournikova 7-6 6-4 (Philadelphia, Nov 1999)

First top-10 win – def. Venus Williams 6-1 6-4 (Berlin, May 2001)

First No.1 win – def. Serena Williams 6-3 6-4 (Charleston, April 2003)

First ITF title – Le Touquet (May 1997)

First WTA title – Antwerp (May 1999)

First Grand Slam title – French Open (June 2003)

First professional match – vs. Laura Frias (ESP) in Palma, November 1996. Won 3-6 6-3 6-4

First WTA match – vs. Lubomira Bacheva (BUL) in Antwerp, May 1999. Won 6-2 6-1

First Grand Slam match – vs. Mashona Washington (USA) at French Open qualifying, May 1999. Won 6-3 6-1

First Grand Slam main-draw win – vs. Kristina Brandi (PUR) at the French Open, May 1999 – 6-4 6-2

First Grand Slam match as direct-entrant – vs. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) at the US Open, August 2001. Won 6-1 6-4

Last top-100 win – def. Elena Baltacha 6-1 6-3 (Australian Open 2011)

Last top-50 win – def. Nadia Petrova 6-1 6-4 (Wimbledon 2010)

Last top-20 win – def. Nadia Petrova 6-1 6-4 (Wimbledon 2010)

Last top-10 win – def. Samantha Stosur 6-4 2-6 6-1 (Stuttgart 2010)

Last No.1 win – def. Amelie Mauresmo 6-4 6-3 (Tour Championships 2006)

Last WTA title – Rosmalen (June 2010)

Last Grand Slam title – US Open (September 2007)

Last win – vs. Elena Baltacha (GBR) at the Australian Open, January 2011. Lost 6-1 6-3

Last professional match – vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) at the Australian Open, January 2011. Lost 6-4 7-6

First week round-up from Melbourne Park

A new champion will emerge at Melbourne Park and it is still difficult to pick a probable winner at this stage. No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No.2 seed Vera Zvonareva have both progressed to the fourth round without too many  wobbles and No.3 seed and arguable pre-competition favourite Kim Clijsters is yet to drop a set. Venus Williams and Justine Henin were the only major casualties of the first week of competition.

High drama: TO some fans, women's tennis might be running at a bit of a low ebb but the crowds at Melbourne Park have already been treated to more than a fair share of dramatic matches, none more so than Venus Williams's second-round encounter with Sandra Zahlavova from Czech Republic.

Zahlavova won the first set in the tiebreak but there looked to be some doubt as to whether Venus would be able to continue, after she sustained a groin injury when reaching for an overhead in the last point of the first set.

After a lengthy injury time-out, Venus re-emerged and despite moving tentatively, the seven-time Grand Slam champion drew on her experience to take the second set 6-0. Zahlavova fought hard but her focus and intensity continued to drop as Venus showed the fighting spirit more readily associated with her younger sister. In a most improbable match, Venus eventually prevailed 6-7 6-0 6-4.

French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had a tough opening match against Arantxa Parra Santonja and the Italian was forced to come back from the brink against Canadian No.1 Rebecca Marino in the second round. Schiavone was two points from defeat at 7-6 in the third set but the gutsy Italian rallied back to win 9-7 in the decider on the Margaret Court Arena.

Ekaterina Makarova has been the queen of the long-haul this week as the Eastbourne champion battled into the second-week of a Grand Slam for the first time. The Russian upset Ana Ivanovic in the first round, winning 3-6 6-4 10-8 before defeating last year's quarter-finalist Nadia Petrova 8-6 in the third round.

Two out of two for team GB: ELENA BALTACHA and Anne Keothavong both played to form by reaching the second round. On paper, Baltacha looked to have a fairly reasonable draw but the Scotswoman was put to the test by Jamie Hampton from the USA. Baltacha, who reached the third round last year, came from a set down to progress 3-6 6-4 7-5 but the British No.1 was no match for Justine Henin, who was the comfortable winner in their second-round contest.

A succession of injuries and poor form caused Keothavong to slide away from the top-100 but the British No.2 scored her first main-draw win in more than two years as she took a 6-4 7-5 victory over Grand Slam débutante Arina Rodionova from Russia to seal her return back to the top-100.

As well as claiming her first victory at this level of competition since 2008, Keothavong must have gained an extra slice of satisfaction as the former British No.1 lost a tense match to Arina's older sister Anastasia at Wimbledon last year

There's no love lost between Keothavong and the Rodionova clan. After the match, Keothavong was in a rather candid mood as she commented: 'Well, they're both, you know they are what they are and everyone kind of knows that. How can I say this diplomatically?'

Keothavong took a set from her friend Andrea Petkovic in the second round but the seeded German won 6-0 in the third set.

Bagels to go: LESS than two years ago, Tathiana Garbin defeated Marion Bartoli on home-soil at the French Open but the Italian veteran, who announced her retirement from singles at the end of last year, bowed out from the singles draw without registering a single game against the Frenchwoman in the first round.

Likewise, Rennae Stubbs also called time on her illustrious career but the Aussie favourite failed to make an impact on her farewell appearance. Much was expected of her partnership with French Open champion Francesca Schiavone but the newly formed team were bundled out by Michaella Krajicek and Petra Kvitova. The Dutch-Czech pairing, who weren't even born when Stubbs made her Melbourne Park debut in 1989, prevailed 6-0 7-5.

Stubbs might continue to play in Fed Cup competitions but if not, the 39-year-old retires with 60 WTA titles to her name including four Grand Slam titles.

Call the trainer: INJURIES are all part of the parcel of being a tennis player but it seems as though the medical set-up at Melbourne Park have been in even higher demand this year.

The most noticeable casualty was Venus Williams, who sustained a groin injury in the first-set tiebreak of her second round clash with Sandra Zahlavova and while Venus fought back to progress in three sets, she was unable to recover sufficiently for her third round match. A teary Venus was forced to retire for the first time in a Grand Slam.

Justine Henin is back on the tour but the clay-court specialist from Belgium is still struggling with the elbow injury which forced her to miss the US Open last year. Henin, who still spends two hours of day on rehabilitation exercises to strength her elbow, admits she's not free of pain yet but at the same time, the former champion didn't use it as an excuse for her third-round loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova from Russia.

Former quarter-finalist Marion Bartoli was tipped for a strong showing but the 26-year-old suffered a calf muscle strain in her second round loss to Vesna Manasieva from Russia and the former Wimbledon finalist will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has been struggling with a groin injury in the build-up to Melbourne Park and the 30-year-old Italian might not be at her most healthy either as she was sick after a marathon second round encounter with Rebecca Marino from Canada.

Yanina Wickmayer and Patty Schnyder also put their early exits down to illness.

US tennis in decline: WITH reigning champion Serena Williams absent and Venus Williams forced to retire with injury, this year's Australian Open provided something of preview to the years ahead when the Williams sisters hang up their rackets. Much was expected of Bethanie Mattek-Sands but the in-form American No.3 fell to Arantxa Rus in the first round while much-hyped Melanie Oudin is nowhere near the form which took her to the last-eight at the US Open in 2009. For the first time in the open era at Melbourne Park, there will be no US interest in the second week of competition.

Aussie hopes disappear: SAMANTHA STOSUR and Jarmila Groth were highly touted in the build-up to the Australian Open but neither were firing on all cylinders. Stosur played an unusually tentative match in the third round, where she fell to Petra Kvitova and Groth, who won the warm-up event in Hobart, went down in three sets to Yanina Wickmayer in the first round.

Alicia Molik has been struggling for wins at ITF level so she did well to defeat Roberta Vinci in the first round but the former top-ten player lost to Nadia Petrova in a one-sided affair. Likewise, Jelena Dokic scored a first round win over Zuzana Ondraskova but failed to back this up in the second round.

Débuts at Melbourne Park

Début Grand Slam appearance

At the age of 28, Junri Namigata will be making her first appearance in the main-draw of a Grand Slam. The Japanese fell in the third round of qualifying at Wimbledon and the US Open last year but a strong end of season showing, including a good performance on home-soil in a 75k ITF event in Toyota elevated the Japanese No.3 to a career-high ranking of No.112, thus sealing her berth in the main-draw.

Two players have made their first main-draw appearance via qualifying. Arina Rodionova, the younger sister of Anastasia, defeated Anne Kremer and Zuzana Kucova en route to the main-draw while Lesya Tsurenko from Ukraine dashed the hopes of Heather Watson in the second qualifying round before defeating her experienced compatriot Mariya Koryttseva in the final round.

Jamie Hampton also qualified for the main-draw although she received a wild-card into the main-draw of the US Open last year.

Début Grand Slam appearance by direct acceptance;

PRIOR to 2010, Andrea Hlavackova was perhaps better known for her exploits in doubles but the flat-hitting Czech has gained direct-entry for her first Grand Slam. Hlavackova qualified for the main-draw at Wimbledon last year, where she defeated Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the first round before falling to eventual finalist Vera Zvonareva.

Rebecca Marino made the second round of the US Open as a qualifier last year and the Canadian gave Venus Williams a stern test on Arthur Ashe court. The 20-year-old, who has a big serve and forehand, went on to defeat Marion Bartoli in Quebec City, which was followed by an 18-match win streak on the ITF circuit.

Zhang Shuai came to prominence when she upset world No.1 Dinara Safina in Beijing in 2009 and the Chinese, who has made two Grand Slams in the past as a qualifier, will be contesting her first main-draw at Melbourne Park.

Alison Riske, who gained a wild-card into Wimbledon last year and Christine McHale, who narrowly missed making the cut by merit at last year's US Open, are also making their débuts via direct acceptance.

Début Grand Slam appearance by wild-card;

17-year-old Caroline Garcia was awarded the French wild-card and this will be her first appearance in the main-draw of a Grand Slam. Garcia, who made the quarter-finals of the US Open juniors last year, already has three top-100 wins to her credit in senior competitions (Sandra Zahlavova, Alize Cornet and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova).

Lauren Davis, ranked No.4 in juniors, gained the US wild-card after defeating Coco Vandeweghe in the play-off final and she has a tough baptism in the main-draw, facing Samantha Stosur in the first round. Davis, who trains at the Chris Evert Academy, has won her last 18 matches on the junior circuit with titles at the prestigious Orange Bowl and Eddie Herr tournaments as well as an eleven match win streak on the ITF circuit.

Other notables;

MIRJANA LUCIC'S off-court struggles have been well-documented but the Croatian is now fully focused on her tennis again and she re-entered the top-100 last October after a ten-year absence. Lucic, who won the doubles at the Australian Open back in 1998, is reaping the benefits of her persistence and hard work as she has gained direct-entry into a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon in 2000. In her last appearance in Melbourne Park eleven years ago, Lucic lost in the first round to No.1 seed Martina Hingis.

Another veteran to stage a resurgence in the past twelve months is Hungary's Greta Arn, who won her second WTA title last week in Auckland and the 31-year-old has gained direct-entry into Melbourne Park for the first time since 2003 where she lost to Nadia Petrova in the first round.

Laura Pous-Tio, having last made the main-draw cut in 2007, has gained direct-entry for a Grand Slam after a four-year absence. Likewise, Zuzana Ondraskova will be returning to the main-draw for the first time since Wimbledon in 2007.

Somewhat surprisingly, Bethanie Mattek-Sands will be making her Australian Open main-draw debut after falling in qualifying in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Seeds in danger

THE most surprising result in the opening stages of the Australian Open last year was Maria Sharapova's loss to Maria Kirilenko in the first round. Which seeds could make an early departure from the draw this year?

Potential round one upsets

(1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Gisela Dulko (ARG)

WOZNIACKI gained the No.1 ranking last autumn but the Dane faced some criticism due to her lack of Grand Slam success and her early season form, as well as a difficult draw, means she might have to wait before she can quieten her critics with her first Grand Slam title. Her first round opponent is world No.1 doubles player Gisela Dulko from Argentina, who has an appetite for producing an upset performance at Grand Slam level. Dulko defeated Victoria Azarenka twice and Ana Ivanovic in Grand Slams last year as well as eliminating Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2009. Wozniacki, who lost in the second round in Sydney, is still expected to progress but Dulko, while perhaps lacking the weaponry, is still capable of giving the No.1 seed more than just a stern challenge.

(3) Kim Clijsters (BEL) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)

THE Russian might be a pale shadow of the player who reached the No.1 spot and two Grand Slam finals in 2009 but given Clijsters' collapse in the final of the Medibank International in Sydney and her third round loss to Nadia Petrova last year, is this match really a foregone conclusion?

(12) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)

THE Pole made a late decision to compete here after suffering a stress fracture in her foot last autumn but her visit to Melbourne Park could be an abbreviated one as she takes on indefatigable Kimiko Date-Krumm, who turned pro in the same year Radwanska was born. The Japanese enjoyed a giant-killing spell at the end of last year with wins over Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur and Li Na and will be by no means unnerved by her higher ranked opponent in the first round.

(21) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) vs. Jarmila Groth (AUS)

GROTH has been the most impressive from the home contingent in the build-up but the former Slovakian needs to overcome Yanina Wickmayer if she wants to emulate her fourth-round appearances from Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Groth has reached the final in Hobart and the big-serving Aussie also upset Samantha Stosur in Brisbane last week so she's more than capable of prevailing, although Wickmayer is a feisty competitor and won't give up without a fight.

(26) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) vs. Greta Arn (HUN)

THE Hungarian veteran comes fresh from a resurgent performance in Auckland where she defeated Maria Sharapova, Julia Goerges and Yanina Wickmayer en route for her second WTA title. Martinez Sanchez isn't the most proficient hard-court exponent, which makes this a favourable draw for the 31-year-old, whose ranking was too low to make the cut-off for the qualifying event last year.

(32) Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)

SINCE reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, Pironkova has failed to achieve anything of real acclaim. The Bulgarian's win-loss record since SW19 stands at a paltry 5-9 and she suffered the indignity of a 6-4 6-0 loss to world No.185 Mandy Minella in the second round of the US Open last year.

Potential round two upsets

(7) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Peng Shuai (CHN)

SINCE retiring with a back injury in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, Jankovic has only amassed six victories and the former world No.1 is currently on a six-match losing streak. The Serb is likely to face Peng Shuai in the second round and the Chinese No.3 is in a rich vein of form with semi-final showings in Auckland and Hobart and Peng also defeated Jankovic in their most recent match-up in Beijing in 2009. Another possibility is a second-round match-up with Kateryna Bondarenko from Ukraine, whose sister Alona upset Jankovic in the third round last year.

(14) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Elena Vesnina (RUS)

SHARAPOVA'S name is still bandied around as a potential winner of Grand Slam titles but the 23-year-old hasn't made a deep run at a Grand Slam since claiming the title in Melbourne Park in 2008 and a lethargic showing in Auckland doesn't invite much confidence either. In the second round, Sharapova could face compatriot Elena Vesnina, who defeated Sharapova in straight sets in Beijing last year.

(20) Kaia Kanepi (EST) vs. Julia Goerges (GER)

THE Estonian re-emerged over the second-half of last year, improving her ranking from No.140 in May to No.22 in October and back-to-back quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open helped the Estonian to her best ever finish. Kanepi is tipped for the top-20 again but re-entry might have to wait as the very talented Julia Goerges could halt Kanepi's ascent.

(23) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)

EVER since claiming the French Open title in 2009, Kuznetsova has been drifting further towards the fringes of women's tennis and early exits in Auckland and Hobart are indicative of this. Meanwhile, Mattek-Sands has been regaining ground in the rankings after two injury-marred seasons and will come fresh from reaching the final in Hobart.

(31) Lucie Safarova (CZE) vs. Klara Zakopalova (CZE)

FOR all her talent, Safarova's recent Grand Slam form leaves a lot to be desired and the Czech No.2 has a potentially difficult second round match-up against countrywoman Klara Zakopalova, who ousted top-seeded Marion Bartoli in Hobart.

Who will qualify for the main draw?

PREDICTING the outcome of qualifying draws at Grand Slam levels is by no means the easiest of tasks. It would take a brave person to put a substantial amount of money on a player in the qualifying draw as the outcome rarely complements the form-book. In 2009, only one of the top-12 seeded players progressed to the main-draw and less than half of the top-seeds made it through the qualifying rounds last year. However, here are the forerunners to make next week's main draw at the Australian Open.

First section

TWO months after her appearance in the final of Fed Cup for the USA, Coco Vandeweghe is the No.1 seed in qualifying but the teenager has struggled to find any form since that tough baptism in November. Her section includes Olga Savchuk from Ukraine and Sesil Karatantcheva from Kazakhstan, who are highly experienced at this level of competition, along with the No.13 seed Misaki Doi from Japan. 15-year-old Russian Irina Khromacheva, who trains at Justine Henin's academy, makes her Grand Slam debut as a wild-card.

Second section

BRITISH No.1 Anne Keothavong must be fairly satisfied with her draw. After a dearth in form last summer which led to her contemplating her future in the sport, the No.2 seed staged a resurgence during the indoor season and started her 2011 campaign with a second-round showing in Auckland. Her main rivals include Raluca Olaru from Romania and No.17 seed Tatjana Malek from Germany.

Third section

HAVING been sidelined by a plethora of injuries in the past eighteen months, Sabine Lisicki is attempting to rebuild her ranking. The German, who has defeated Dinara Safina, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki in her career, is currently languishing at No.156 in the rankings and even though the 21-year-old started her season with a second round showing in Auckland, Lisicki has a tough draw. Her first round opponent is the No.22 seed Michaella Krajicek, who has also had her fair share of injuries, before a potential clash with last year's Wimbledon junior champion Karolina Pliskova in the third round.

Fourth section

KATIE O'BRIEN made the second round in the main-draw last year which means the British No.4 needs a strong showing to maintain her top-200 ranking. Her first round opponent will be Mandy Minella from Luxembourg, who reached the third round of the US Open last year.

Fifth section

OFT-INJURED Sania Mirza enjoyed a return to form in her adopted home of Dubai last December where she defeated a competitive field for a noteworthy ITF title. Seeded No.24, the Indian is starting to produce better results on a consistent basis and starts as the leading protagonist from this section.

Sixth section

NOBODY really stands out in this section except for Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan, who ousted former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last year. Irina Falconi, who qualified for the main-draw of last year's US Open as a wild-card, can't be discounted though.

Seventh section

AFTER reaching the third round at the French Open last year, a succession of injuries slowed Anastasia Pivovarova's progress but the Russian started her season by qualifying for the main-draw in Brisbane. The section also includes Eleni Daniilidou from Greece, who double-bagelled Pivovarova at Wimbledon qualifying last year, but on hard-courts a much closer match will be expected.

Eighth section

LAST year's junior winner Karolina Pliskova is in the draw, along with another up-and-comer in Jamie Hampton from the USA, who was the in-form player on the US ITF circuit last year.

Ninth section

DOUBLES specialist Nuria Llagostera Vives from Spain is no longer a consistent direct-entrant into Grand Slams but the 30-year-old qualified for the main-draw at three Grand Slams last year. Petra Martic and Alja Tomljanovic, both up-and-comers from Croatia, are also favoured.

Tenth section

No.10 seed Kurumi Nara from Japan and No.18 seed Arantxa Rus are the standout names from a weak section.

Eleventh section

HAN XINJUN from China successfully qualified last year and took Samantha Stosur to three-sets in the main-draw and the No.11 seed will be seeking a repeat performance although Kathrin Woerle from Germany has a good record at Melbourne Park.

Twelfth section

AS if Heather Watson's draw wasn't tough enough, the last-minute withdrawal of Zhou Yi-Miao has presented an even tougher proposition as the Chinese has been replaced by Kristina Mladenovic from France, who looked in very good shape at last week's Hopman Cup in Perth. Things won't get any easier as Watson could face Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele in the second qualifying round, before Urszula Radwanska from Poland in the final round.