Luck, or maybe just an indicator, the absence of Justine Hennin-Hardenne in the Australian open will leave an open spot, becoming the best shot for Sharapova to win the Australian Open.
Hennin-Hardenne, the world’s #1 player, was a finalist in 4 major events in 2006, and she will not be there for personal reasons opening a great opportunity for all the top players, including Sharapova.
Competing with Mauresmo, Kuznetsova and Clijsters they are all favorites to win the Australian Open, but it seems that the big favorite is Sharapova.
She is the favorite to win a Grand Slam for the second time in her career; the other one was the 2005 U.S. open. Last year, the 19 year-old Russian reached semifinals in 13 of 15 events and so far this is the best shot for her to impose her will, winning her first Australian open title, second straight Grand Slam and third major on her career.
The Australian Open is the first of the four big events or Grand Slams in tennis tournaments. It is held each January, at Melbourne Park in the city of Melbourne and it is contested by the top ranked tennis players in the world.