Australian Open women’s penpix

HOW THE LEADING WOMEN’S CONTENDERS SHAPE UP FOR THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

SERENA WILLIAMS (USA)

Age: 33

Ranking: 1

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US63,500,799 ($A68.71 million)

Career titles: 64

Grand slam titles: 18 (Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010; French Open 2002, 2013; Wimbledon 2002-03, 2009-10, 2012; US Open 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-2014)

Australian Open win-loss record: 61-9

Best Australian Open performances: champion 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010

Now that shes’s caught Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, the American is on a mission to hunt down Steffi Graf’s open-era record of 22 grand slam crowns and it’d be dangerous to back against her.

MARIA SHARAPOVA (RUS)

Age: 27

Ranking: 2

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US32,730,238 ($A35.41 million)

Career titles: 34

Grand slam titles: 5 (Australian Open 2008; French Open 2012, 2014; Wimbledon 2004; US Open 2006)

Australian Open win-loss record: 42-10

Best Australian Open performance: champion 2008

The red-hot Russian will likely need to snap an 11-year losing streak against Williams to claim a second title but boasting a career grand slam set the young veteran is clearly capable.

SIMONA HALEP (ROM)

Age: 23

Ranking: 3

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US6,670,571 ($A7.22 million)

Career titles: 8

Grand slam titles: 0

Australian Open win-loss record: 6-4

Best Australian Open performance: quarter-finalist 2014

The Romanian revelation backed up her newcomer of the year season in 2013 by reaching her maiden grand slam final at Roland Garros last year and climbing to world No.3.

PETRA KVITOVA (CZE)

Age: 24

Ranking: 4

Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US17,256,188 ($A18.67 million)

Career titles: 15

Grand slam titles: 2 (Wimbledon 2011, 2014)

Australian Open win-loss record: 11-6

Best Australian Open performance: semi-finalist 2012

In hot form and no longer a one-slam wonder, the free-swinging Czech has set her sights on Williams’ top ranking and the fast Melbourne Park surface is tailor made to the fearless lefty’s first-strike tennis.

ANA IVANOVIC (SRB)

Age: 27

Ranking: 5

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US13,201,859 ($A14.28 million)

Career titles: 15

Grand slam titles: 1 (French Open 2008)

Australian Open win-loss record: 24-10

Best Australian Open performance: finalist 2008

With four titles, the Serbian former world No.1 reclaimed her place in the top five last year and it would surprise few if the 2008 runner-up collected her second major title at Melbourne Park.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD (CAN)

Age: 20

Ranking: 7

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US3,726,035 ($A4.03 million)

Career titles: 1

Grand slam titles: 0

Australian Open win-loss record: 5-1

Best Australian Open performance: semi-finalist 2014

The Canadian pin-up girl enjoyed a breakout season last year, charging into the semi-finals in Melbourne and Paris before reaching her maiden grand slam title match at Wimbledon.

BEST OUTSIDER

VICTORIA AZARENKA (BLR)

Age: 25

Ranking: 42

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US24,230,183 ($A26.22 million)

Career titles: 17

Grand slam titles: 2 (Australian Open 2012, 2013)

Australian Open win-loss record: 32-7

Best Australian Open performances: champion 2012, 2013

It is hard to call a two-time Open champion an “outsider” but that she as she enters this year’s event unseeded and on the back of a first-round exit in Brisbane following an injury-ravaged 2014 campaign.

BEST AUSTRALIAN HOPES

SAMANTHA STOSUR

Age: 30

Ranking: 20

Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US14,120,796 ($A15.28 million)

Career titles: 6

Grand slam titles: 1 (US OPen 2011)

Australian Open win-loss record: 16-12

Best Australian Open performances: 4th round 2006, 2010

Has struggled to live up to her ranking and expectations in front of home fans in recent years but insists she can go deep in the draw if she can negotiate a way past the nerve-wracking first week.

CASEY DELLACQUA

Age: 29

Ranking: 29

Plays: left-handed (two-handed backhand)

Career prize money: $US2,866,613 ($A3.10 million)

Career titles: 0

Grand slam titles: 0

Australian Open win-loss record: 9-11

Best Australian Open performances: 4th round 2008, 2014

Seeded for the first time at her home slam after a spectacular revival last year, rising from outside the world’s top 200 and revelling in motherhood and the twilight of her career.

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