2020 Australian Open - Women's Singles - General Discussion

[Enceladus]

It's a time, that I create AO 2020-thread also for Women's Singles.

Defending champion: Naomi Osaka

Former AO champions, who will participating in the 2020 edition: Serena Williams (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-10, 2015, 2017), Maria Sharapova (2008), Angelique Kerber (2016), Caroline Wozniacki (2018)

Official website: http://www.ausopen.com/
Wiki-link:

2020 Australian Open – Women's Singles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Date: 20 January - 1 February (women's main draw)
Number of players in main draw: 128S
Prize money: A$71 million (USD $49,2 million)
Financial prize for the champion: A$4,120,000 (USD $2,853,100)
Category: Grand Slam
Governing body: Tennis Australia
Surface: Hard (GreenSet)
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Venue: Melbourne Park
TV broadcast:

Broadcast Partners | AO

WTA entry list:
Main draw
1 Barty, Ashleigh (AUS)
2 Pliskova, Karolina (CZE)
3 Osaka, Naomi (JPN)
4 Halep, Simona (ROU)
5 Andreescu, Bianca (CAN)
6 Svitolina, Elina (UKR)
7 Kvitova, Petra (CZE)
8 Bencic, Belinda (SUI)
9 Bertens, Kiki (NED)
10 Williams, Serena (USA)
11 Sabalenka, Aryna (BLR)
12 Konta, Johanna (GBR)
13 Keys, Madison (USA)
14 Kenin, Sofia (USA)
15 Martic, Petra (CRO)
16 Vondrousova, Marketa (CZE)
17 Mertens, Elise (BEL)
18 Riske, Alison (USA)
19 Vekic, Donna (CRO)
20 Kerber, Angelique (GER)
21 Muchova, Karolina (CZE)
22 Yastremska, Dayana (UKR)
23 Sakkari, Maria (GRE)
24 Anisimova, Amanda (USA)
25 Stephens, Sloane (USA)
26 Kontaveit, Anett (EST)
27 Sevastova, Anastasija (LAT)
28 Goerges, Julia (GER)
29 Collins, Danielle (USA)
30 Wang, Qiang (CHN)
31 Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia (RUS)
32 Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE)
33 Strycova, Barbora (CZE)
34 Putintseva, Yulia (KAZ)
35 Muguruza, Garbiñe (ESP)
36 Rybakina, Elena (KAZ)
37 Wozniacki, Caroline (DEN)
38 Mladenovic, Kristina (FRA)
39 Zhang, Shuai (CHN)
40 Kudermetova, Veronika (RUS)
41 Zheng, Saisai (CHN)
42 Alexandrova, Ekaterina (RUS)
43 Linette, Magda (POL)
43 Bellis, Catherine (USA) SR
44 Peterson, Rebecca (SWE)
45 Ostapenko, Jelena (LAT)
46 Garcia, Caroline (FRA)
47 Van Uytvanck, Alison (BEL)
48 Wang, Yafan (CHN)
49 Hercog, Polona (SLO)
50 Azarenka, Victoria (BLR)
51 Tomljanovic, Ajla (AUS)
52 Kuzmova, Viktoria (SVK)
53 Williams, Venus (USA)
54 Kuznetsova, Svetlana (RUS)
55 Suárez Navarro, Carla (ESP)
56 Brady, Jennifer (USA)
57 Bouzkova, Marie (CZE)
58 Siniakova, Katerina (CZE)
59 Cornet, Alizé (FRA)
60 Swiatek, Iga (POL)
61 Blinkova, Anna (RUS)
62 Ferro, Fiona (FRA)
63 Davis, Lauren (USA)
64 Zidansek, Tamara (SLO)
65 Pera, Bernarda (USA)
66 Pliskova, Kristyna (CZE)
67 Sasnovich, Aliaksandra (BLR)
68 Gauff, Cori (USA)
69 Kasatkina, Daria (RUS)
70 Flipkens, Kirsten (BEL)
71 Zhu, Lin (CHN)
72 Tsurenko, Lesia (UKR)
73 Teichmann, Jil (SUI)
74 Cirstea, Sorana (ROU)
75 Siegemund, Laura (GER)
76 Jabeur, Ons (TUN)
77 Diyas, Zarina (KAZ)
78 Petkovic, Andrea (GER)
78 Zvonareva, Vera (RUS) SR
79 Puig, Monica (PUR)
80 Golubic, Viktorija (SUI)
81 Peng, Shuai (CHN)
82 Townsend, Taylor (USA)
83 Doi, Misaki (JPN)
84 Pegula, Jessica (USA)
85 Sorribes Tormo, Sara (ESP)
85 Bondarenko, Katerina (UKR) SR
85 Boulter, Katie (GBR) SR
86 Kovinic, Danka (MNE)
87 Maria, Tatjana (GER)
88 Stojanovic, Nina (SRB)
89 Mchale, Christina (USA)
90 Babos, Timea (HUN)
91 Diatchenko, Vitalia (RUS)
92 Kozlova, Kateryna (UKR)
93 Rus, Arantxa (NED)
93 Schmiedlova, Anna Karolina (SVK) SR
94 Ahn, Kristie (USA)
95 Potapova, Anastasia (RUS)
96 Brengle, Madison (USA)
97 Paolini, Jasmine (ITA)
98 Badosa, Paula (ESP)
99 Stosur, Samantha (AUS)

Alternates
100 Giorgi, Camila (ITA)
101 Kanepi, Kaia (EST)
102 Begu, Irina-Camelia (ROU)
103 Watson, Heather (GBR)
104 Gasparyan, Margarita (RUS)
105 Kalinskaya, Anna (RUS)
106 Hibino, Nao (JPN)
107 Zavatska, Katarina (UKR)

Qualifying draw
98 Bogdan, Ana (ROU)
102 Begu, Irina-Camelia (ROU)
103 Watson, Heather (GBR)
104 Gasparyan, Margarita (RUS)
105 Kalinskaya, Anna (RUS)
106 Hibino, Nao (JPN)
107 Zavatska, Katarina (UKR)
108 Gracheva, Varvara (RUS)
110 Minnen, Greet (BEL)
111 Korpatsch, Tamara (GER)
112 Sharma, Astra (AUS)
114 Tig, Patricia Maria (ROU)
115 Vikhlyantseva, Natalia (RUS)
116 Bolsova, Aliona (ESP)
117 Bonaventure, Ysaline (BEL)
118 Niculescu, Monica (ROU)
119 Voegele, Stefanie (SUI)
120 McNally, Catherine (USA)
122 Di Lorenzo, Francesca (USA)
123 Parmentier, Pauline (FRA)
124 Hon, Priscilla (AUS)
125 Kawa, Katarzyna (POL)
126 Flink, Varvara (RUS)
127 Gibbs, Nicole (USA)
128 Juvan, Kaja (SLO)
129 Samsonova, Liudmila (RUS)
130 Inglis, Maddison (AUS)
131 Krejcikova, Barbora (CZE)
132 Cabrera, Lizette (AUS)
135 Martincova, Tereza (CZE)
136 Arconada, Usue Maitane (USA)
138 Osuigwe, Whitney (USA)
140 Nara, Kurumi (JPN)
141 Minella, Mandy (LUX)
142 Dart, Harriet (GBR)
143 Kiick, Allie (USA)
144 Wang, Xiyu (CHN)
145 Friedsam, Anna-Lena (GER)
146 Dolehide, Caroline (USA)
147 Haas, Barbara (AUT)
148 Tomova, Viktoriya (BUL)
149 Li, Ann (USA)
150 Wang, Xinyu (CHN)
151 Cepede Royg, Veronica (PAR)
152 Wickmayer, Yanina (BEL)
153 Kostyuk, Marta (UKR)
154 Gatto-Monticone, Giulia (ITA)
155 Arruabarrena, Lara (ESP)
155 Falconi, Irina (USA) SR
156 Trevisan, Martina (ITA)
157 Bolkvadze, Mariam (GEO)
158 Vickery, Sachia (USA)
159 Cepelova, Jana (SVK)
161 Lottner, Antonia (GER)
162 Kalinina, Anhelina (UKR)
163 Dodin, Oceane (FRA)
164 Krunic, Aleksandra (SRB)
165 Bara, Irina (ROU)
166 Anderson, Robin (USA)
167 Pattinama Kerkhove, Lesley (NED)
168 Schoofs, Bibiane (NED)
169 Paquet, Chloe (FRA)
170 Bucsa, Cristina (ESP)
171 Shinikova, Isabella (BUL)
172 Hibi, Mayo (JPN)
173 Lepchenko, Varvara (USA)
173 Eraydin, Basak (TUR) SR
174 Sramkova, Rebecca (SVK)
175 Kucova, Kristina (SVK)
177 Rogers, Shelby (USA)
178 Cocciaretto, Elisabetta (ITA)
179 Buyukakcay, Cagla (TUR)
180 Raina, Ankita (IND)
181 Han, Na-Lae (KOR)
182 Kostic, Natalija (SRB)
183 Barthel, Mona (GER)
184 Jakupovic, Dalila (SLO)
185 Ruse, Elena-Gabriela (ROU)
186 Lu, Jia-Jing (CHN)
187 Han, Xinyun (CHN)
188 Frech, Magdalena (POL)
189 Danilovic, Olga (SRB)
190 Ponchet, Jessika (FRA)
191 Naito, Yuki (JPN)
192 Govortsova, Olga (BLR)
193 Rakhimova, Kamilla (RUS)
194 Sherif, Mayar (EGY)
195 Hogenkamp, Richel (NED)
196 Lao, Danielle (USA)
198 Errani, Sara (ITA)
199 Kostova, Elitsa (BUL)
200 Aiava, Destanee (AUS)
201 Di Giuseppe, Martina (ITA)
202 Bains, Naiktha (GBR)
203 Jani, Reka-Luca (HUN)
204 Rodionova, Arina (AUS)
205 Gorgodze, Ekaterine (GEO)
206 Muhammad, Asia (USA)
207 Osorio Serrano, Maria Camila (COL)
208 Perrin, Conny (SUI)
208 Thandi, Karman Kaur (IND) SR
209 De Vroome, Indy (NED)
210 Cristian, Jaqueline (ROU)
211 Fernandez, Leylah Annie (CAN)
212 Mcphee, Kaylah (AUS)
213 Ozgen, Pemra (TUR)
214 Bouchard, Eugenie (CAN)
215 Savinykh, Valeria (RUS)
216 Parrizas Diaz, Nuria (ESP)
217 Larsson, Johanna (SWE)
218 You, Xiaodi (CHN)
219 Chwalinska, Maja (POL)
220 Paar, Laura Ioana (ROU)
221 Murray, Samantha (GBR)
222 Liang, En-Shuo (TPE)
223 Radwanska, Urszula (POL)
224 Satralova, Denisa (CZE)
225 Yuan, Yue (CHN)
226 Bondar, Anna (HUN)

Alternates
227 Melnikova, Marina (RUS)
228 Jovic, Jovana (SRB)
228 Lopatetska, Daria (UKR) SR
229 Grabher, Julia (AUT)
230 Muramatsu, Chihiro (JPN)
231 Baptiste, Hailey (USA)
232 Xun, Fang Ying (CHN)
233 Naydenova, Aleksandrina (BUL)
234 Ce, Gabriela (BRA)
235 Guerrero Alvarez, Eva (ESP)
236 Okamura, Kyoka (JPN)
238 Liu, Fangzhou (CHN)
239 Hobgarski, Katharina (GER)
240 Ma, Shuyue (CHN)
243 Fett, Jana (CRO)
244 Gerlach, Katharina (GER)
245 Ivakhnenko, Valentyna (RUS)
246 Komardina, Anastasiya (RUS)
247 Marcinkevica, Diana (LAT)
248 Eikeri, Ulrikke (NOR)
249 Swan, Katie (GBR)
250 Perez, Ellen (AUS)

Wild cards into main draw:

• CoCo Vandeweghe (USA)
• Pauline Parmentier (FRA)
• Han Na-lae (KOR)
• Maria Sharapova (RUS)
• Arina Rodionova (AUS)
• Lizette Cabrera (AUS)
• Priscilla Hon (AUS)
• Astra Sharma (AUS)

 

[Enceladus]

List of seeds:

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
2. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
3. Naomi Osaka (JPN)
4. Simona Halep (ROU)
5. Elina Svitolina (UKR)
6. Belinda Bencic (SUI)
7. Petra Kvitova (CZE)
8. Serena Williams (USA)
9. Kiki Bertens (NED)
10. Madison Keys (USA)
11. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
12. Johanna Konta (GBR)
13. Petra Martic (CRO)
14. Sofia Kenin (USA)
15. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
16. Elise Mertens (BEL)
17. Angelique Kerber (GER)
18. Alison Riske (USA)
19. Donna Vekic (CRO)
20. Karolina Muchova (CZE)
21. Amanda Anisimova (USA)
22. Maria Sakkari (GRE)
23. Dayana Yastremska (UKR)
24. Sloane Stephens (USA)
25. Ekaterina Alexandrova
26. Danielle Collins (USA)
27. Wang Qiang (CHN)
28. Anett Kontaveit (EST)
29. Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
30. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
31. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
32. Barbora Strycova (CZE)

 

[James P]

Hyped

 

[Harry_Wild]

Stosur was the last one on the main draw entry, #99! Lucky her!

 

[Harry_Wild]

Maria got a wild card! 2008 champion!

 

[muddlehead]

Here we go. Let's get this Major started.
Looking at the qualies draw:

Who knew S Errani is still playing?
Niculescu seeded 20.
Easy to confuse Allie Kiick w/Allie Riske.

McNally - Muhammad the one first round I'd like to watch

 

[James P]

I'm keeping an eye on McNally, but also the two young Ukrainians, Daria Lopateska and Marta Kostyuk.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Streaming of all Q courts starts today (joker, etc).

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Watch Diane PARRY ( FRA)
the current #1 junior in the world
tonight at 6 pm EST on court 10 at the AO.

She plays a la Henin:
great platform serve, "hooked" serves and ATP-style FHs, 1HBH , slice, volleys, beautiful all court game.

She is 17 yo
and got a WC into women's Q draw.

Being Henin-esque in stature too, she may need
all hands on deck tonight,
playing a big girl, Y. Bonaventure.

She is just at the beginning of her transition into the seniors.

 

[muddlehead]

All my gals are in the main draw - qualies not needed - except for Niculescu.

Kasatkina Hsieh Garcia Collins Cirstea Siniakova Sasnovitch

 

[Nostradamus]

Match Schedule | AO

Genie Bouchard in Qualies coming up in an hour or so. Tennis channel plus covering, I hope.

 

[James P]

Bouchard/You warming up...

 

[Nostradamus]

Bouchard/You warming up...

Genie losing to somebody named YOU...………????????????? down 4-5. I thought she was starting to play well ???

 

[James P]

Genie losing to somebody named YOU...………????????????? down 4-5. I thought she was starting to play well ???

Back on serve, at least. She was down a break.

 

[Nostradamus]

Back on serve, at least. She was down a break.

I think Genie can say YOU suck, then she could be insulting her opponent twice

 

[Nostradamus]

Australian Open Tennis Live Scores | AO

Man,, Genie Bouchard is down a set. this is really bad. Losing to You. no pun intended

 

[Otacon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216926145507033093

 

[James P]

Retired while winning? Must have been pretty bad.

 

[James P]

US Open Girl's Champ, Maria Osorio Serrano, thru to 2nd round in quallies 2-6 6-1 6-1

 

[Midaso240]

Donald Young getting creamed,ASB Classic in rain delays. Time to watch Jules Goerges in Adelaide

 

[Harry_Wild]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216926145507033093

Davila Jakupovic was so close, she should of taken a medical time out and then a bathroom break, to give her time to recover!

 

[spystud]

The bolded is really concerning.

The first day of qualifying was delayed and practice suspended as Melbourne's air quality ranged from hazardous to poor on Tuesday morning.

Play eventually got underway at 11am - an hour later than scheduled - after the city's air was the worst quality in the world overnight because of the bushfires in the state's east.

It's an obvious concern with the world's eyes set to be glued on Melbourne during the two-week championship from Monday.

Thousands of international visitors and Australian tennis fans will also throng to the precinct.

Health authorities expect the air quality to bounce between the "very poor to hazardous range" until at least Wednesday night.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Now that bibi is out

My pick is Barty

 

[I Am Finnish]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216926145507033093

They did not played on indoors

Bad choice from the organizers

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Thanks for doing the thread, normally I’d be on top of it but I’m working it this year so it’s pretty hectic. My tip to win is Naomi Osaka but cheering for Barty of course.

 

[D-Lite]

Thanks for doing the thread, normally I’d be on top of it but I’m working it this year so it’s pretty hectic. My tip to win is Naomi Osaka but cheering for Barty of course.

I'm going for Osaka too, but with a shot of bias mixed in because I think the field is pretty open. Will we see Pliskova finally settle at a slam? Once the main draw is out it'll be interesting to see where the potential stumbling blocks lie.

 

[D-Lite]

Just read the non-seeded players from 33 onward... Some potential tasty 1st round matches to be had, and certainly some shocks could be on the cards already! So many former highly ranked players who will be unseeded, and so many of the next generation making their way up the rankings too who will be looking to make a splash. I'd love to see Serena vs Gauff in R1. I know it's a long shot, but that'd be cool after Gauff drew Venus at Wimbledon. Wozniacki vs one of the top players like Halep would also be cool considering it's her last tournament. You've got recent in form players like Alexandrova and Pegula unseeded also!

 

[elkwood]

A new slam winner or will we see a repeat winner

 

[spystud]

Draw is underway.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Venus v Coco 1R

 

[spystud]

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Wozniacki gets Kristie Ahn for her final Aus Open. 2R Yastremska.

Serena opens against Potapova.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Vekic v Sharapova

Sabalenka v Suárez Navarro

Halep v Brady

 

[spystud]

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Sevastova v Tomljanovic

Vondrousova v Kuznetsova

Pliskova v Mladenovic!!!!!

 

[I Am Finnish]

I'm going for Osaka too, but with a shot of bias mixed in because I think the field is pretty open. Will we see Pliskova finally settle at a slam? Once the main draw is out it'll be interesting to see where the potential stumbling blocks lie.

Barty

 

[spystud]

 

[James P]

That third quarter looks like murder to get through.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Brutal draw for Pliskova who I think is getting closer to winning that elusive slam but doubt she'll do it with this draw:

1R: Mladenovic
2R: Siegemund/Vandeweghe
3R: Pavlyuchenkova
4R: Kerber or Vondrousova
QF: Bertens, Anisimova, Svitolina or Muguruza
SF: Bencic, Sabalenka, Halep, Collins etc
Final: the rest

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Not bad for Barty.

Can't see her winning the title but should go far.

Tsurenko in the 1R is tough but should pull through
2R: Hercog/Peterson
3R: Rybakina
4R: Riske (who did beat her at Wimbledon last year) or Martic/Goerges.
QF: Keys, Sakkari or likely Kvitova for the 2nd straight year
SF: Osaka or Serena

 

[Aussie Darcy]

QF by seeds:

Barty vs Kvitova
Osaka vs S.Williams
Bencic vs Halep
Svitolina vs Pliskova

 

[TagUrIt]

I'm very excited about the draw, I look forward to staying up late and watching as many matches as I can!

edit: Goerges, Pliskova (Ice Queen), Collins, Kvitova and Sabalenka are my picks.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

I'm very excited about the draw, I look forward to staying up late and watching as many matches as I can!

edit: Goerges, Pliskova (Ice Queen), Collins, Kvitova and Sabalenka are my picks.

Ice queen or ace queen? Ice queen title will forever belong to Sharapova

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Bouchard bringing some good form this year.

Thrashes Aussie hope Maddison Inglis 6-3 6-1 to make the final qualifying round. Winnable match that one against Trevisan from Italy. Nice to see her win some matches.

 

[romeo8880]

Not bad for Barty.

Can't see her winning the title but should go far.

Tsurenko in the 1R is tough but should pull through
2R: Hercog/Peterson
3R: Rybakina
4R: Riske (who did beat her at Wimbledon last year) or Martic/Goerges.
QF: Keys, Sakkari or likely Kvitova for the 2nd straight year
SF: Osaka or Serena

Sadly, with the heat, her asthma and now the SMOKE, I don’t think kvitova will be performing that well.

 

[Enceladus]

Ice queen or ace queen? Ice queen title will forever belong to Sharapova

Didn't Chris Evert have the nickname Ice Queen?

 

[I Am Finnish]

Sharapova draw is brutal

Maria Sharapova draw for @AustralianOpen
R1: Vekic
R2: Cornet
R3: Sabalenka
R4: Bencic/Kontaveit
QF: Halep/Mertens
SF: Pliskova/Svitolina/Bertens/Kerber
F: Barty/Osaka/S.Williams/Kvitova

 

[Enceladus]

Interesting matches in 1st round at AO 2020:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217719488273174528

 

[fundrazer]

Unseeded Mugu...wow

Pleaaaaaase destroy basiclina in the third round. It's all I ask.

 

[Enceladus]

Tennis.com experts picks: women's champion, dark horse, bust

CHAMPION
MATT FITZGERALD: Serena Williams
In clearing a mental hurdle by winning the Auckland title, the 38-year-old is now ready to complete her mission of raising major title No. 24.

STEVE FLINK: Naomi Osaka
The No. 3 seed will win her third major title, and successfully defend for the first time, after toppling Serena in a blockbuster quarterfinal.

CALE HAMMOND: Karolina Pliskova
Let’s zig when they zag. Look for Pliskova to blast her way to her elusive first major title after defeating a red-hot Alison Riske, Osaka, and Madison Keys.

ED MCGROGAN: Belinda Bencic
There were two repeat Grand Slam champions in 2019, but we're still in a stretch of time where players are breaking through with a maiden major. I could see Bencic, who reached the semis at the US Open, being the next first-time winner. The bottom half of the draw is far less imposing than the top, but she'll still have to beat quality players. Plus, isn't Switzerland due for a big title?

ASHLEY NDEBELE: Karolina Pliskova
The No. 2 seed has a difficult opener against Kristina Mladenovic, but she’s proved that she can blow any player off the court with her aggressive brand of tennis.

NINA PANTIC: Serena Williams
Auckland was a great start to Serena’s season, but her 24th major is long overdue. Achieving the record-tying feat on an Australian court would be quite appropriate.

JORDAAN SANFORD: Naomi Osaka
The No. 3 seed finished last season strong, with wins in Osaka and Beijing. Last week in Brisbane, she defeated Sofia Kenin and Kiki Bertens. She looks to be at the top of her game, and without the No. 1 beside her name, she should feel less pressure, which could make all the difference.

STEVE TIGNOR: Naomi Osaka
She’s in the same quarter as Serena, but Osaka is the defending champion, and she spent the last few months of 2019 building her game back to where it was a year ago.

JOEL DRUCKER: Serena Williams
Abundant in confidence, Serena is aided by winning her first tournament title since becoming a mother. Now’s the time she, at last, wins Slam No. 24.

DARK HORSE (SEEDED NO. 20 OR LOWER)
MATT FITZGERALD: Anett Kontaveit
She’s been to the round of 16 here before, and is due to get back to that juncture, or further, on the Grand Slam stage.

STEVE FLINK: Amanda Anisimova
The No. 21 seed began her breakout 2019 with a fourth-round run in Melbourne, and followed it up with a semifinal showing at Roland Garros. She's a big match player.

CALE HAMMOND: Ekaterina Alexandrova
Alexandrova has won the last two tournaments she’s played, in Limoges and Shenzhen. Look for the fast-rising 25th seed to upset Kvitova in the third round.

ED MCGROGAN: Karolina Muchova
For the reasons I mentioned above, I'm going with a player in the bottom half. Muchova ended 2019 with a series of deep runs, but she'll remain well under the radar until the later rounds. When you're playing solid tennis, that's a desirable position to be in.

ASHLEY NDEBELE: Danielle Collins
A semifinalist here last year, the former collegiate star has already made some noise Down Under by handily upsetting Elina Svitolina in Brisbane, and Sofia Kenin and Bencic in Adelaide.

NINA PANTIC: Elena Rybakina
The 20-year-old has reached the quarterfinals or better in her last five events, including the Shenzhen final. She was playing W25K’s this time last year, but is now inside the Top 30.

JORDAAN SANFORD: Danielle Collins
Last week in Brisbane, Collins dominated world No. 5 Svitolina and Yulia Putintseva. This week she eased past Kenin and Bencic. With this kind of momentum building, she has the potential to defeat anyone in her way.

STEVE TIGNOR: Dayana Yastremska
This 19-year-old, who can hit with anyone, has won a few titles; a deep run at a Grand Slam would seem to be next on her agenda, and Melbourne Park would seem to have the right surface for her.

JOEL DRUCKER: Garbine Muguruza
She shown the goods before, with two Grand Slam title runs. Now, she's back working with Conchita Martinez—and hopefully in the right place to vault back up the ranks.

BUST (SEEDED NO. 10 OR HIGHER)
MATT FITZGERALD: Simona Halep
Opening with the in-form Jennifer Brady and the likes of Hsieh Su-Wei, Collins and Putintseva floating as potential third-rounders don’t add up to a promising result.

STEVE FLINK: Elina Svitolina
Her draw does not look that difficult, but I believe the No. 5 seed will lose early.

CALE HAMMOND: Kiki Bertens
The newlywed's game is almost as sweet as her personality, but she withdrew from Adelaide due to an Achilles injury, and that’s not a good sign.

ED MCGROGAN: Madison Keys
The American's game used to entice me with its sky-high potential. But after so many Grand Slams shortcomings, all I think about are the ways it can go awry. If she rolls through the first week, this pick could be a bust, but Daria Kasatkina isn't an easy opening opponent, and potential third-round adversary Maria Sakkari will have massive support in Melbourne.

ASHLEY NDEBELE: Elina Svitolina
She comes into the event with little confidence after a dismal 6-1, 6-1 loss to Collins in Brisbane.

NINA PANTIC: Simona Halep
Halep is 1-1 so far in 2020, and opens against a red-hot Brady, who just recorded upsets of Ashleigh Barty and Maria Sharapova in Brisbane.

JORDAAN SANFORD: Ashleigh Barty
The No. 1 seed didn’t have a great warm-up tournament, losing her opening round in Brisbane. Hard courts could actually be this widely skilled player's worst surface.

STEVE TIGNOR: Ash Barty
Barty is the top seed, and possibly the world’s best player, and she has a decent draw. But can Australia’s finest live up to the considerable expectations that will surround her in Melbourne?

JOEL DRUCKER: Kiki Bertens
Solid player and admirable ascent, but a career record of 4-7 at the Australian Open. I can see her being tripped up by a lower-ranked contender.

Spoiler: Link

2020 Australian Open Expert Picks: Women's champion, dark horse, bust | Tennis.com

Serena or Osaka? Halep, Bertens or Svitolina? And—which group is for our champions, and which is for our busts?

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